The opera singer died of cancer. "Life Divided by Years"

... How do neurosurgeons perceive such news about the death of famous people from brain tumors? Is this really a normal course of events that shows that neither fame nor money can save you from this diagnosis?

“This is not a completely normal course of events, since the treatment of glioblastoma greatly depends on the financial condition of the patient. Not all patients have access to modern treatment methods abroad, which may be more effective. But in general, glioblastoma (also known as glioma multiforme, also known as glioma-Grade IV) is currently a largely mysterious disease. The disease is characterized by multiple genetic damage in the glial cells of the brain, which leads to the rapid expansion of a malignant tumor.

The main problem is that with this type of tumor the tumor is the entire brain, and not a separate part of it,

because genetic damage is everywhere. The difference from tumors such as neuroma or meningioma or even cancer metastases, which have a border, is that these tumors do not have a border either on the images or during surgery. Therefore, in fact, it is impossible to completely remove this tumor. More often it occurs in the brain, sometimes in the spinal cord. It is the most common primary brain tumor. Therefore, the fact that celebrities die from it is not something special -

Tens and hundreds of thousands of ordinary people die from it.

— How should a person act to prevent the development of a brain tumor?

“Unfortunately, there is no way to prevent this disease. This is not an HIV infection that can be prevented by contraception, for example. Unfortunately, this is the genetic destiny of man. Glioblastoma is the most fatal brain tumor, but it is far from the only one. In Japan, which more than other countries faces the problem of oncogenesis due to radiation and other factors, according to standards, once every three years, all adult residents undergo an MRI.

If a person has the financial opportunity, then there is a reason to periodically do an MRI of the brain.

In our country, the Japanese option is not suitable, if only because compulsory insurance does not pay for MRI for no reason, and most people are not ready to pay for it.

But we must ensure that an MRI is done for any persistent, atypical headache of unknown origin, especially morning headaches accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

In case of a one-time attack of loss of consciousness with or without convulsions, with the appearance of any neurological symptoms, for example, weakness in the limbs, rapidly progressive decrease in vision. This is not a tumor prevention, but its early diagnosis, and since other tumors are not so fatal, early diagnosis allows them to be treated in a timely manner, and sometimes without surgery.

There are so-called low-grade gliomas with low malignancy, they are well controlled by radiation therapy, and people with it can live for decades. I have a friend who has been living with her for nine years...

— If a person is not a celebrity, lives in the outback, then where should he go for examination?

— Unfortunately, the effectiveness of using MRI scanners in Russia is not always sufficient. The conditional grandmother can travel to the nearest regional center, but there is a problem associated with insurance companies paying for these studies. The queue for free MRIs is very long, it can take 3-6 months, and for some brain tumors this is a lifetime. There is a high supply of MRI scanners only in large cities, and I, as a neurosurgeon, constantly see patients with severely advanced pathologies that developed only because

that the research, which is absolutely banal for world clinical medicine, was not done on time.

There are somewhat more computer tomographs in Russia, they are somewhat cheaper, and, for example, hospitals where neurotraumas are operated on are equipped with them. But the effectiveness of their use also lags behind Western experience.

If we talk about the technical features of neurosurgery, then in Russia it is, oddly enough, relatively well equipped. It requires an operating microscope. Such things as neurophysiological monitoring are needed to ensure that areas of the brain adjacent to the tumor are not destroyed. Today there are drugs that a person takes on the day of surgery, and this drug, in fluorescence mode, is able to paint the border of the tumor and healthy tissue.

What is done with glioblastoma? Surgical treatment is aimed at reducing the volume of the tumor and reducing swelling as much as possible. There are drugs to reduce edema, and now the main focus in the world is shifting towards chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

I am convinced that glioblastoma is the tumor that will be defeated by evolution.

Because every year the range of our understanding of the biology of this tumor and the possibilities of chemotherapy is expanding every year.

— What are the risk groups for glioblastoma?

“Unfortunately, no reliably known risk factors have been identified for glioblastoma. One thing is certain so far - they occur more often in men. There is information about a weak connection with ionizing radiation, and that the tumor occurs somewhat more often in carriers of cytomegalovirus, or in those who have had malaria.

— And such things as stress, lifestyle, lack of sleep...

— Unfortunately, oncological diseases have not been fully studied. In principle, for many tumors of the nervous system, no clear risk factors are known; we still have to find out. A person can only lead as healthy a lifestyle as he can. When the press writes that a person has brain cancer, most often they are talking about glioblastoma. We have famous people who have been treated for other cancers for many years and even talk about it openly, for example.

But this fatality with which they talk about brain cancer most often points to glioblastoma.

Brain cancer is a journalistic euphemism that most often means the end.

— Has the diagnosis of glioblastoma become younger in the world?

“Knowledge and understanding of glioblastoma is constantly expanding, so we are getting a lot more information. Indeed, in recent years it has been recorded somewhat more often in younger people.

In principle, this disease does not have a clear distribution by age. It also occurs in children; by the way, tumors of the central nervous system are the main cause of death in children in the first year of life.

— What prejudices do doctors face when treating brain tumors? There are still beliefs about the dangers of mobile phones...

- Of course, no mobile phones increase the risk of formations, this has not been proven by anyone. It is very important that patients break the mentality that a brain tumor equals death, since a huge number of tumors can be treated and cured, and the person can return to normal life.

The second dangerous prejudice is the belief that brain surgery is inherently catastrophic. Yes, there is an opinion among people that if the operation is on the head, then the person will remain a fool, and if the operation is spinal, then the person will be paralyzed. This is not true, since it is impossible to compare modern neurosurgery with neurosurgery 30 years ago.

— How long do people live with glioblastoma?

“It requires chemotherapy and radiation therapy, sometimes repeated surgery, treatment of cerebral edema and reduction of symptoms - the whole range of palliative care, as with other fatal diseases.

With current treatments, the median survival of patients is 15 months.

In general, cancer is something that reminds us that we are still animals, and regardless of wealth and celebrity, biology can overtake anyone.

— Where is diagnosis and treatment better - in Russia or in Western countries?

— In Russia, MRI is difficult for ordinary people to access, but this is not only our problem, the same problem exists in the USA, where it depends on the insurance system. As for treatment, there are several leading institutions in Russia, these are the Burdenko Institute, the Russian Cancer Research Center and others. Success is very dependent on the progress of science, and the progress of science is highly dependent on lawmaking in the field of science.

In Europe and the United States, a huge number of new treatment protocols are constantly being developed, which make it possible to effectively include patients in clinical trials and, if effective, quickly bring drugs to market.

Unfortunately, Russia lags behind in this regard. According to the academician, in terms of chemotherapy, Russian oncology lags behind Western ones by 4-5 years. This is a huge period of time.

Dmitry Hvorostovsky, a legend of the opera stage who was simply adored by his fans, has passed away. The best singer in the world, the most refined baritone - what titles he has not been awarded during his brilliant career! He was only 55. Hvorostovsky struggled with a serious illness for two and a half years. He fought with all his might. But she prevailed.

Today, when he passed away, a post appeared on his social network page on behalf of the family. Farewell, beloved opera singer, husband, father, friend. Dmitry Hvorostovsky passed away this morning in London, surrounded by his closest loved ones. But the memory of him and his soulful voice, flowing from the depths of our souls, will forever remain with us.

He really wanted to sing here, in his native Krasnoyarsk. Dmitry Hvorostovsky gave all of himself to his fellow countrymen. At the last concert, he managed to once again confess his love to the audience. They, as always, reciprocated.

“I had to go back. I returned to you because I love you, because this is my hometown,” said People’s Artist of Russia Dmitry Hvorostovsky.

He spent only a few years in his hometown after graduating from the Krasnoyarsk Institute of Arts. Already at 27, the stately and charismatic Hvorostovsky was sent to an opera singing competition in Cardiff, also called the Olympics of Musicians. The Soviet Union took part in it for the first time. And immediately a resounding success: Hvorostovsky received the title of “Best Singer in the World.” And since then he has been torn between the main opera stages: Covent Garden, La Scala, the Metropolitan.

He was given the best roles: Germont in La Traviata, Rodrigo in the opera Don Carlos, Don Juan, Eugene Onegin. And from the age of 20, he himself dreamed of playing the clumsy and limping jester Rigoletto in the opera “Verdi”. And, of course, Hvorostovsky’s calling card is the role of Count di Luna in the opera “Il Trovatore.” His favorite, but also the most difficult to perform. After her, foreign critics awarded the singer another title: the most refined baritone.

And as soon as he had a free week, he rushed to Russia, to the Mariinsky Theater or the cozy hall of the capital’s conservatory. Here he often performed songs to the music of Georgy Sviridov. The composer treated Hvorostovsky like a grandson and always repeated that only a single singer could perform his works so poignantly.

Success loved him, but failure seemed to pass him by. That’s why it was so impossible to believe the doctors’ diagnosis made two years ago: brain cancer. Three months of painful radiation therapy and a ban on his main medicine - the stage.

“I don't remember what I said. I said that, in principle, I had achieved everything in life, I had done everything: I planted trees, raised children, I had a wonderful career. What else? And fuck you all - that's what happened. And then everything went. I have no right. I must live not for myself, as always. Not for myself,” said Dmitry Hvorostovsky.

When doctors allowed him to sing again, he organized a charity concert in Ufa together with Rusfond to raise money for treatment of sick children. Patients, including those with cancer. During the intermission, I wanted to encourage everyone, because he, like no one else, knew what this daily fight against the disease costs.

“People here are seriously ill. We need very real and serious help. We need to help, we need to forget about everything, all our ambitions. This is the most important thing we have - our children,” said Dmitry Hvorostovsky.

The father of four children, he never showed that he was hurt. Hvorostovsky rehearsed on stage until the last minute and was afraid to slow down. So that fans remember him like this, with irrepressible energy and that wide smile.

“Every year I gain two more, because the speed and intensity of living time is very, very high,” said Dmitry Hvorostovsky.

“He went through stages of denial, fear, anger. Sometimes he shouted: “Why me?” Antonov shared his memory.

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A friend begged Hvorostovsky to throw out his emotions and talk to a psychotherapist. “I found him a specialist. He agreed. Most of all, Dima was worried about his children and family: how they would be here, but he wasn’t,” said Pavel.

At the same time, a friend tried to find a cure for the opera singer. “I believe in alternative medicine, I started sketching out people with examples of how they were healed. But Dima didn’t take it seriously. He asked to calm down, several times even in a rude manner,” Antonov complained.

At some point, Pavel began to panic. “I offered to bring him a miraculous icon to the hospital when they came to New York to confirm the diagnosis. And he snapped: “Pash, just imagine, you show up with a priest and an icon - you’ll scare the children!” I say: they say, I’m being careful. “He immediately shouted the answer: “No!” - and rejected the offer,” StarHit quotes Antonov.

According to a friend of Hvorostovsky, the opera singer had tumors in those parts of the brain that are responsible for coordination, but despite this he continued to play sports. “I remember, after the diagnosis, I saw him jogging: doing this in the gym or park was already dangerous - he could fall, so Dima rented an apartment with upholstered furniture, pillows, it was difficult to hurt himself in it, and he ran in one place for an hour every day.” Plush "apartment. Iron Man..." concluded Antonov.

Dmitry Hvorostovsky died on November 22 surrounded by loved ones in London. For two and a half years, the world-famous opera performer battled a brain tumor. The artist's body was cremated. Part of the ashes were buried at the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow, the second capsule was sent to the performer’s native Krasnoyarsk.

Today it was announced about the death of the famous opera performer Dmitry Hvorostovsky. The artist died at the age of 55 after a long battle with brain cancer.

Dmitry Hvorostovsky learned about the terrible diagnosis in 2015. Then he decided not to hide the truth from fans and the public.

“Due to the progressing illness, I canceled one event, a second, a third, I didn’t want any rumors to spread, empty speculation began, and I declared everything as it is. This was a completely logical step on my part,” the artist explained in an interview.

At the same time, Hvorostovsky noted that the disease did not come as a surprise to him:

“Apparently, I approached her. For a long time I could not get rid of a pessimistic mood; a black perception of the world, a feeling of apathy and fatigue appeared. I stopped enjoying work, I was very tired, indifferent to what was happening around me. Perhaps the reason was a physical condition, but until now I did not understand this.”

Doctors told the eminent patient: “You probably won’t die,” and prescribed him grueling courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

“At the Rochester Clinic in the USA, I had a powerful biopsy, an operation under general anesthesia, without which it was impossible to understand which treatment method to choose. Holes were drilled at the base of the skull. If you bring your hand to the area that has been irradiated, you may even feel additional warmth. There are moments when the blood rushes in and everything there begins to pulsate. Except the music doesn't sound. This is the result of radiation...” shared Hvorostovsky.

After six weeks of irradiation, the artist became partially bald, “the hair on the back of his head fell out.” The treatment hit my body hard. Relatives helped Dmitry cope with difficulties.

“The main problem with chemotherapy is the duration of the course. You need to get ready for at least six months of systematic treatment. Grit your teeth and endure. My wife's support helped a lot. Without Florence, coping with the situation would have been much more difficult. Flo never allowed herself to doubt that another outcome was possible other than victory over the disease,” Hvorostovsky said in an interview.

But the artist himself fought hard for his life:

“I forced myself to go to the gym almost every day, although at that moment all sorts of complications began, the sciatic nerve became inflamed, I had difficulty moving, standing up, sitting down, walking...”

There were periods when the artist felt better. So, this summer, Hvorostovsky performed in his native Krasnoyarsk. The audience gave him deafening applause, but the singer did not find the strength to sing an encore. He burst into tears right on stage, and the audience cried with him.

“I thank you all for such an award, for your respect. My performances make me move on, move forward,” Hvorostovsky expressed his gratitude to the audience after the performance, which became his last.

Dmitry maintained faith in a successful outcome until the end: “I have a healthy body, and this should help me cope with the disease. It will definitely help. I know. It will only get better from now on.”

However, the artist’s condition noticeably deteriorated. He lost his most valuable asset - his voice. According to media reports, Dmitry could only speak in a whisper, and later allegedly became completely numb.

His friends and colleagues spoke about Hvorostovsky’s last days and the bitterness of his loss.

“I managed to say goodbye to Dmitry last night at 21:00. And early this morning his wife Florence called me and said that Dima died a minute ago,” said conductor Konstantin Orbelyan. – It was at 3:30 am. He died in a hospital in London. Unfortunately, the fight for his life ended today.

I can’t say that he was conscious in the last minutes. Yesterday morning his parents flew to see him. They met. We even managed to talk as much as possible. And they also said goodbye to him, although until the last minute no one believed that Dima would leave. We all hoped for a miracle."

“This is a huge injustice - he left four children. He died very hard and courageously. He was a man with a capital H, enormous talent. This is the first Russian singer who has gained such worldwide fame,” said composer Igor Krutoy.

Before his death, Dmitry Hvorostovsky made a will in which he asked to bury part of his ashes in Moscow, and part in his small homeland, Krasnoyarsk.

Famous opera singer Dmitry Hvorostovsky, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor, can be operated on in Russia. Meanwhile, Russian stars and officials have already responded to the artist’s illness.

Dmitry Hvorostovsky: the disease and diagnosis were established in London, the media found out

However, according to the latest information received, Dmitry Hvorostovsky refused the help of some Russian cancer centers, as well as the Rusfond organization.

“We don’t need help, we have enough funds,” Hvorostovsky’s assistant Elena told reporters, answering a question about the singer’s possible treatment in Russia.

It is noted that Hvorostovsky himself, in response to all proposals, limited himself to a short remark “Everything will be fine!”

It’s too early to draw parallels in the diseases of Hvorostovsky and Friske - oncologist

In turn, the deputy chief physician of the European Clinic, oncologist Andrei Pylev, told LifeNews journalists that Dmitry Hvorostovsky’s brain tumor does not mean that the development of the disease will follow Zhanna Friske’s scenario. True, to effectively fight the tumor, the famous opera singer will have to undergo treatment only abroad, Pylev believes.

“I would urge you not to draw parallels with recent sad events. I mean Zhanna Friske. Brain tumors can vary in degree of aggressiveness; they can arise from brain cells, from the lining of the brain, or the pituitary gland. And all these formations are characterized by varying degrees of aggressiveness and, naturally, completely different prognosis. Now we do not have enough information about the medical situation in the case of Hvorostovsky, but we really hope that we are not talking about the same diagnosis as Friske (glioblastoma - approx.),” the TV channel quotes an oncologist specialist.

“As a rule, all brain tumors are clinically manifested by headache and neurological symptoms. This could be a lack of coordination, loss of vision, or some kind of motor impairment. It depends only on what part of the brain the tumor is located in. Almost all formations begin with such a clinical picture. Focusing only on the symptoms, it is too early to talk about the prognosis, even if we are talking about the same type of tumor as Friske’s. If the tumor is diagnosed at a sufficiently early stage, and the patient can receive all the existing stages of treatment - surgery, then radiation therapy, chemotherapy - then in a certain percentage of cases we can talk about either a cure or a long-term stable remission,” says Pylev.

The main condition for successful treatment of Hvorostovsky is only foreign clinics.

“If we are talking about glioblastoma, then the full treatment cycle can take a year. A change in voice can certainly happen. They cannot be excluded. Unfortunately, there is no panacea for cancer. Every year a huge number of new highly effective drugs appear in the world. Immunotherapy is now at the cutting edge of science. But most of these drugs are not registered in Russia, we do not treat our patients according to existing international protocols,” the specialist explained.

As Pylev noted, brain tumors most often affect young people, but there are exceptions. Pylev noted that a brain tumor can be its own, arising from brain cells, a tumor can arise from the membranes of the brain, a pituitary tumor, and so on.

“As a rule, there are no prerequisites for the development of a brain tumor. Basically, a tumor is discovered by chance, or when it begins to manifest itself,” the specialist said in an interview with URA.ru, noting that brain tumors are characterized by a different prognosis and not all of them deadly.

Russian artists and officials commented on the news about Dmitry Hvorostovsky's illness

Philip Kirkorov commented on the state of health of Dmitry Hvorostovsky on social networks.

"No! No! No! And no again! Dima - fight! You are strong, you will win! It’s simply impossible to believe..." - wrote artist.

At the same time, opera singer Anna Netrebko, who was supposed to perform in the same concert with Dmitry, limited her comment to one short word, “No!”

Children's Ombudsman Pavel Astakhov made two publications on the topic of Hvorostovsky's illness.

“Dear Dima, we love you very much, your children, your Family, your creativity and indomitable desire to do Good! Your Charity Evening in the Kremlin on October 4, 2014 helped save 47 seriously ill children who received all the proceeds from the Concert. Now they and their loved ones, along with your family and friends, are praying for you! Get well soon, we have too much to do," Astakhov wrote in Instagram.

Russian TV presenter Oksana Pushkina also expressed words of support in her