Patti Scialfa has revealed that she has been battling multiple myeloma, a rare form of blood cancer, since 2018.
The 71-year-old wife of Bruce Springsteen and longtime member of E Street Band went public with her diagnosis in the new documentary Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer that impacts plasma cells, which are type of white blood cell found in the bone marrow. Plasma cells help the body fight infections by producing antibodies. In myeloma, abnormal plasma cells multiply uncontrollably and crowd out normal blood cells, interfering with the production of healthy blood cells and antibodies. This can lead to weakened bones, kidney problems, anemia, and a weakened immune system.
Due to her diagnosis, Scialfa is no longer able to tour with the E Street Band or perform full concerts. Instead, she has limited her participation to occasional guest appearances at select shows, joining her husband for a few songs.
“This affects my immune system so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go,” Scialfa explains in the documentary (via People). “Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that.”
Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, which chronicles the band’s latest world tour, premiered this weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival. It will stream on Disney+ beginning October 25th.
