Tracey Emin, a renowned artist, has spoken about her experience with cancer, revealing she wasn’t scared of death itself, but rather of continuing to live with the challenges it presented.
In June 2020, the 62-year-old artist discovered she had an aggressive form of bladder cancer called squamous cell cancer. Doctors were concerned it could quickly spread to her lymph nodes and become fatal within months.
Tracey then announced in 2021 that she was cancer free.
After facing a challenging time, she’s determined to appreciate life to the fullest. She’s also celebrating her 40-year career with a new art exhibition at the Tate Modern.
The show is called A Second Life, a title that reflects the host’s battle with cancer in 2020 and her recovery.
She told The Mirror that her situation wasn’t a sudden, traumatic event like a car crash. Doctors initially estimated she had about six months to live, and even if surgery was successful, she might only have another year and a half.
More than five years have passed, and I’m still cancer-free, which I’m incredibly grateful for. It feels amazing. I often feel like I’m living in a protective bubble, a common experience for cancer survivors.
Tracey realized she wants to fully appreciate every moment and is now striving to live with courage and authenticity.
She explained that she wasn’t scared of death, but rather of truly living, and that she needed to learn to embrace and enjoy life more fully.
In 2020, Tracey received a diagnosis of aggressive bladder cancer while the country was in lockdown. She then had several significant surgeries to treat it.
Doctors surgically removed her bladder, urethra, lymph nodes, and sections of her intestine and vagina to stop the cancer from spreading.
To allow urine to leave her body, she had a stoma created – an opening in her abdomen connected to a bag worn outside the body to collect and dispose of the urine.
Tracey openly discusses the challenges of life after her surgery and regularly shares honest updates about her health on social media.
She shared an old Instagram post revealing her stoma, explaining that many people haven’t seen one and that she felt pressured to hide it.
She explained that a section of her intestine is connected to the outside of her body, and it’s essential for her survival. If it doesn’t work properly, she won’t live.
‘[It’s] live flesh. Fragile and delicate. Surrounded by scar tissue and swollen puffy fatty flesh.
‘I have almost total muscle wastage in my core abdomen, stomach. My body will never be the same.
I’ll be honest, wearing the bag really brings me down. There’s nothing appealing about carrying around something so unpleasant.
‘But it’s life.. my life now. Many disabilities can not be seen. But I thought I’d show you mine.’
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2026-02-26 11:50