“The Pit” actor Moshe Kasher says he has undergone surgery for oropharyngeal cancer. Being diagnosed with tonsil cancer was the comedian’s “worst nightmare” as his father died from throat cancer.
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Comedian and ‘The Pit’ actor Moshe Kasher has opened up about his horrifying real-life medical drama.
The writer and actor, 47, revealed in an Instagram post on June 21 that he had been diagnosed with tonsil cancer caused by HPV (human papillomavirus) after discovering a “bump on his tonsils” three months ago while filming the movie “The Comeback King” with director Judd Apatow in Savannah, Georgia. The diagnosis was early cancer, stage 1.
On June 19, he underwent a five-hour operation in which they “pulled open his jaw,” removed the cancerous area, “slit his throat, and dissected his neck.” Cashier was left with “severe neck scars that made people reluctant to engage in street fights with me” and a “swollen and bruised mouth,” he wrote.
“This was the most terrifying and draining experience of my life,” writes the author of “Subculture Vulture: A Memoir in Six Scenes.” “My life was full of fear, meditation, tears, and medical plans (and cracking jokes on set for 12 hours a day).”
“I’m in pain and in the middle of a very difficult process. It’s going to be a long summer,” he continued. “But the good news is that my cancer cure rate is incredibly high (in the 95% zone). I’ll find out next week if I need radiation therapy, but either way, I’ll be fine and get back to being a cool guy as soon as possible.”
Cashier, who played ASL interpreter Jacob Samuel on Season 2 of The Pit, vowed to “get better.” He added: “I’m so grateful to have a life worth living and a child to celebrate Father’s Day with.”
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He and his wife, Natasha Leggero, recorded an episode of the “Endless Honeymoon Podcast” before heading off to Kasher’s surgery. During the 43-minute sit-down, Casher detailed the discovery of the abnormality in his tonsils and how it led to a biopsy that confirmed the cancer diagnosis.
“I’m sick, but I don’t feel sick. My body feels great,” he said. “It was a real reality-altering nightmare, but it was also very enlightening and a deep time of introspection and fear, processing and meditation.”
He continued, “I’m going to be OK. The road to OK is going to be long and pretty bumpy.”
After undergoing surgery to have tonsils and 25 lymph nodes removed from her neck, Casher clarified, “If you look at it microscopically and it (the cancer) has spread, you won’t know until the surgery, but you’ll probably need radiation therapy.”
She also confessed that the diagnosis was her “worst nightmare” as her father died from “an entirely different cancer that was found in his neck and is much more difficult to cure”.
Cashier is a stand-up comedian who has produced several specials, including Netflix’s 2018 Honeymoon Stand-up Special. He also appeared in one episode of “The Good Place,” “Portlandia” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.”
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How does HPV cause cancer?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. The CDC notes that more than 42 million people in the United States are infected with HPV and that “nearly everyone will become infected with HPV at some point in their life.” The virus is spread “by intimate skin-to-skin contact,” including vaginal, anal, or oral sex with someone who is infected with the virus.
HPV infection may not cause symptoms in some patients, but 9 out of 10 patients are cured within 2 years. However, for some people, the infection lasts longer and can lead to cancer.
According to the CDC, it usually takes several years for an HPV infection to progress to oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the back of the throat, base of the tongue, and tonsils. Oropharyngeal cancer may be asymptomatic or cause “prolonged sore throat, earache, hoarseness, swollen lymph nodes, pain when swallowing, and unexplained weight loss.”
The HPV vaccine “protects against the types of HPV that can cause oropharyngeal cancer.” The oldest person eligible to receive the vaccine is 45 years old.
One 2022 paper published in the Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy journal predicted that oropharyngeal cancer will be one of the most common cancers in men by 2045.
