Everything We Know About William Shatner's Health Issues

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Legendary "Star Trek" actor William Shatner has been hospitalized. The 94-year-old star, best known for playing Captain James T. Kirk, was taken from his Los Angeles home to a local hospital on the afternoon of September 24. A problem relating to his blood sugar prompted the hospital visit and he has reportedly already returned home. Even so, for obvious reasons, this scare has sparked concern regarding the actor's health among his many fans.

In the wake of Shatner's trip to the hospital, his agent, Harry Gold, simply told TMZ, "He's fine." Bouncing back quickly from what is ailing him is nothing new for Shatner, who's still active in his 90s. In a 2018 interview with NBC News, Shatner explained, "My life has been so lucky — I've been so fortunate in terms of health, which is really the basis of everything." He added, "Your health and your energy is partially your doing, but partially accidental — genetic and accidental." Despite his luck and commitment to staying healthy in the simple ways like eating well, getting plenty of sleep, and having fun, Shatner has still dealt with some health struggles over the years. He has recovered from cancer and lives with tinnitus.

In 2016, William Shatner was diagnosed with prostate cancer, which he called "really scary," per Today. Luckily, in the end, he learned that this diagnosis was a mistake. Nearly a decade later, in 2024, however, Shatner received a cancer diagnosis that was the real thing. He was diagnosed with stage 4 melanoma after noticing a lump on his ear.  While giving a keynote speech at the American Academy of Dermatology annual meeting in 2024, he recalled, "They said if this [treatment] they used did not work, I had about 5 months," per Healio. With immunotherapy, Shatner became cancer-free at 93. In addition to being a cancer survivor, the star lives with tinnitus, which causes ringing in the ears. He believes he developed the condition as a result of hearing a blast while on the set of "Star Trek."

Despite dealing with some health issues over the years, Shatner is still living long and prospering. His life is full, with three children, five grandchildren, and plenty of adventures. In fact, in 2021, Shatner took a trip to space at the age of 90, which made him the oldest person ever to do so. In his 2018 memoir, "Live Long And . . .: What I Learned Along the Way," he wrote that the best advice for living a long life is, "Don't die. That's it; that's the secret. Simply keep living and try not to slow down."