Patti Scialfa, wife of Bruce Springsteen, reveals 2018 blood cancer diagnosis
Patti Scialfa is back on stage after revealing her cancer diagnosis.
In a surprise appearance, the wife of Bruce Springsteen and E Street Band member joined the band for their performance of "Tougher Than the Rest" on Sunday, Sept. 15, at Sea.Hear.Now Festival at Asbury Park in New Jersey.
Scialfa publicly shared her 2018 diagnosis with blood cancer multiple myeloma in “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.” The documentary premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 8, according to Variety.
“This affects my immune system, so I have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” the 71-year-old said in the film. “Every once in a while, I come to a show or two, and I can sing a few songs on stage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”
Variety reported Scialfa didn’t attend the premiere for the documentary. The current state of her health and whether she is receiving treatment for her myeloma is unclear.
E Street Band was founded in 1972, nearly two decades before Springsteen and Scialfa married in 1991. In 2014, she, along with the rest of E Street Band, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
What is multiple myeloma?
The cancer Scialfa was diagnosed with, multiple myeloma, creates cancerous plasma cells in the bone marrow, which prevent the body from producing antibodies and reducing the ability to fight off infection, per Mayo Clinic. It's not clear what causes it and there’s no cure.
Not everyone with multiple myeloma receives treatment. In some cases, if the cancer is not progressing and not causing symptoms, doctors may opt for a wait-and-see approach. It's not clear if Scialfa needed or still needs treatment for her myeloma.
Symptoms of multiple myeloma include:
Bone pain, especially in the hips, spine or chest
Digestive issues, such as nausea, constipation and loss of appetite
Mental issues, such as tiredness and brain fog
Infections
Weight loss
Weakness
Thirst and needing to pee more than usual
The cancer is more common in people in their late 60s, as well as men, Black people and those with a family history of multiple myeloma. Treatments, if needed, include immunotherapy, CAR-T cell therapy, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplant, radiation and more.
Between 42% and 82% of people diagnosed with multiple myeloma survive for four years or more, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Bruce Springsteen's health issues
Scialfa isn't the only band member who's had to deal with illness. In 2023, Springsteen revealed health issues of his own. The “Born to Run” singer announced via X that he and E Street Band would be postponing their shows because Springsteen had a peptic ulcer.
In 2024, he announced via Instagram that he’d be postponing additional concert dates until the following year on doctor’s orders due to “vocal issues,” TODAY.com reported at the time.
A few months later, Springsteen shared additional details about the ordeal with SiriusXM’s E Street Radio. “When I had the stomach problem, one of the big problems was that I couldn’t sing,” Springsteen said. “You sing with your diaphragm. My diaphragm was hurting so badly that when I went to make the effort to sing, it was killing me. So, I literally couldn’t sing at all.”
Springsteen’s also gotten candid about his mental and physical health. In 2012, Springsteen told The New Yorker that he’d dealt with “intervals of depression.” Scialfa added that therapy has helped him.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
