Carly Simon announced this week she has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. The "You’re So Vain" singer also shared that she had surgery for basal cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, amid her Parkinson's treatment.
"So many people have written to me, kindly wondering about my relative silence, asking how I am and what I have been doing. The truth is, I've been learning how to live with Parkinson's disease," Simon, 83, told People on Monday, July 27. "It has taken me some time to understand the diagnosis, to adjust to it and to decide how much I wanted to say about it publicly."
Simon said she had three replacement surgeries to treat her damaged joints, but her mobility "continued to worsen." She also shared that the skin cancer was removed,
but the surgery has affected her appearance and made her "more self-conscious about being seen in public."
"I have always been more critical of my appearance than anyone else could possibly imagine," Simon told the outlet.
Here’s everything you need to know about Parkinson's disease and basal cell carcinoma – and just how common it is to have the two at the same time.
What is Parkinson's disease? Signs, symptoms
Parkinson's disease is a progressive movement and brain disorder of the nervous system.
Symptoms start slowly and worsen over time, according to Mayo Clinic, and include:
- Tremor. This rhythmic shaking may start on one side of the body in the hands, fingers, foot or jaw. It may look like trembling hands or rubbing the thumb and forefinger back and forth.
- Slowed movement, also called bradykinesia. Parkinson’s disease can make simple tasks more difficult by slowing down movements, like getting dressed, making facial expressions or getting up from a chair.
- Rigid muscles. Stiffness, tension and pain may occur in any part of the body.
- Poor posture and balance.
- Loss of automatic movements, such as blinking, smiling or swinging your arms.
- Speech changes, like soft speech, slurring your words, tonal changes or hesitating before speaking.
- Difficulty writing things down.
- Nonmotor symptoms, like depression, anxiety, constipation and sleep issues.
Simon said her journey with Parkinson’s disease has been "difficult, frustrating and sometimes frightening" but that she wanted to share her diagnosis "because so many people have reached out with genuine concern."
"I am touched by that concern, even when I have not known how to respond," the pop icon said.
The cause of Parkinson’s disease is not known, so there are no steadfast ways to prevent it. Research shows that exercise, caffeine and medications such as ibuprofen and statins have been linked to a lower risk of the disease.
What is basal cell carcinoma?
Basal cell carcinoma is the most common type of non-melanoma skin cancers, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. An estimated 3.6 million Americans are diagnosed with the condition each year. It often develops on areas of skin exposed to the sun, such as the face, according to Mayo Clinic.
Basal cell carcinoma may look like:
- A shiny, skin-colored bump. The bump appears skin-colored or pink on white skin, or brown or glossy black on brown skin.
- A brown, black or blue lesion with dark spots or a slightly-raised border.
- A flat, scaly patch with or without raised borders, which can grow larger over time.
- A white, scar-like lesion without a defined border.
Is double diagnosis of Parkinson's disease and basal cell carcinoma common?
The risk of developing Parkinson’s disease or basal cell carcinoma both increase with age, which can make concurrence more common. However, patients with Parkinson’s disease generally have a lower risk of developing many types of cancers. The exception is melanoma, where studies have shown a higher incidence level of the cancer in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
But the studies on Parkinson's disease and non-melanoma skin cancers, such as basal cell carcinoma, are mixed.
A 2021 study published in the peer-reviewed medical journal Cancers found that patients with Parkinson’s disease were also at an increased risk of non-melanoma skin cancers compared to the general population. However, a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Oncology found a decreased risk of basal cell carcinoma in patients with Parkinson’s disease.
Both studies, however, identified patients with Parkinson’s disease as vulnerable populations and recommended regular skin examinations.
There are no formal guidelines for skin cancer screening, according to the American Cancer Society, but the organization suggests that everyone should check their skin at least once a month – no matter their level of risk.
Contributing: Edward Segarra
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Carly Simon revealed a devastating double diagnosis. Is it common?
