Taking his own personal experience, the Brazilian TV host, is taking the holidays to initiate a very personal campaign to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.
This campaign is an effort to start an early conversation ahead of the WORLD CANCER DAY marked on 4 February “I want to tell my husband’s story and my experience, so more people be aware of our experience and hopping we can help others. I want to work early in supporting the upcoming 4th February.” comments Israel.
Astrocytoma is a type of brain tumour that develops from cells that help the nervous part of the brain function. These types of lumps have an unknown cause and can be cancerous, as happened to tv host Israel Cassol’s husband. The perception of the symptoms was essential so that the treatment could be started.
According to Israel, 40, severe headaches were the main alert for his partner, who is 52 years old, to seek medical help. “He also sensed an inexplicable, different smell. That’s when we decided to see a doctor,” he details.
The discovery of the cancer occurred in 2016, when he underwent surgery to remove part of the tumour that was in grade 2, since it was not possible to remove all of it. He underwent radiotherapy treatment combined with chemotherapy and was followed up every six months. However, in October 2022, news came that the astrocytoma had returned, but the degree is still unknown.
The Brazilian reports about his and Ruppert’s experience:
“We were in Saint-Tropez, in the summer of 2016. We had lunch, and then I went to bed with my dog, Toby, then I heard Rupert making a noise: like he had a cold, like snoring, a yawn… When he woke up, he told me that he passed out and that he smelled poo. Even he thought Toby had pooped in the living room …
In the other episodes the same thing happened, he felt this smell that he couldn’t explain where it came from.
Were always the same symptoms of passing out and the smell, his head would turn red …due to his tumour size we have come to discover that could be seizures. When we saw his MRI, we saw how gigantic the tumour was, and that… that smell was one of the first symptoms [of cancer]. Very bizarre all the experience, we were so shocked, we never think it will happen to us.
When we went to the doctor, he told us that this this is one of the symptoms of head cancer. People start to scent an odd smell. And it was one of the first symptoms Rupert felt. Now, when the tumour has returned [discovered in October 2022], Rupert’s only reactions have been headaches and tiredness.”
The tv host also explains that the treatment for this type of cancer is very limited, which makes chemotherapy difficult. “There is only one drug, which is called temozolomide. He takes it for five days, stops for 28 days, and then takes it again. It’s a one-year treatment.”
Despite the stress caused by the disease, both Israel and her husband remain very positive. “We are confident that the drug will be able to contain the growth of the tumour. We are very positive that we will beat cancer together!” says the TV anchor.
Living in Brazil again, after years in England, the influencer Israel Cassol currently runs a local TV show and became known internationally after becoming the first Brazilian man to grace the cover of a Playboy magazine, in the Swedish edition. He was also the host of the first edition of the Miss BumBum UK pageant, which took place in September this year.
