Actor Suzanne Somers is opening up about her ongoing battle with breast cancer, revealing another bout of her disease had recently returned, but she is now once again cancer free.
"As you know, I had breast cancer two decades ago, and every now and then it pops up again, and I continue to bat it down," Somers said in an Instagram post. "I have used the best alternative and conventional treatments to combat it. This is not new territory for me. I know how to put on my battle gear and I’m a fighter."
Somers, 76, posted a sweet photo of her and her husband Alan Hamel, and described how her family has been her support system throughout her health issues.
"Alan has been by my side every step of the way. I can’t even explain how much he has done for me. If it’s even possible, we are even closer than ever," she said. "My incredible family has been so supportive, and have helped so much by keeping the business running so you can still have access to all the wonderful products."
The "Step by Step" actor also thanked her fans for their support as she took time away from working.
"Thank you for the continued love and support," Somers said. "It’s only about who you love and who loves you — and I love you!"
A representative for Somers told NBC News the actor was dealing with other unspecified health issues when she learned her cancer had returned, but that she is now free from cancer. Somers was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2000.
"As one of millions of cancer patients, we do our best not to let this insidious disease control us. I find bliss in each day," Somers said in a separate statement to NBC News. "It’s a recurrence of my breast cancer. Like any cancer patient, when you get that’s dreaded, 'It’s back' you get a pit in your stomach. Then I put on my battle gear and go to war. This is familiar battleground for me and I’m very tough."
