Actor and comedian Moshe Kasher has revealed he was diagnosed with Stage 1 tonsil cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). The 47-year-old star of The Pitt shared the news on Instagram on Sunday, detailing his recent surgery and recovery process.
Discovery and Diagnosis
Kasher found a bump on his tonsil while filming The Comeback King with Judd Apatow in Savannah, Georgia. A biopsy confirmed the bump was tonsil cancer caused by HPV, according to his Instagram post. The cancer was diagnosed at Stage 1, an early stage with a high cure rate.
“This has been the most terrifying and consciousness consuming experience of my life,” Kasher wrote. “My life has been terror, meditation, tears, and medical planning (oh and 12 hour days on set pitching jokes).”
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Surgery and Treatment
On June 19, Kasher underwent a five-hour surgery. He described the procedure on Instagram: doctors “yanked my jaw open,” removed the cancerous areas, “and then slit my throat and dissected my neck.” The surgery left him with a “hardcore neck scar” and a “swollen and bruised mouth.”
Kasher is currently in pain and “in the middle of a very difficult process.” He noted that the cancer has an “incredibly high cure rate (in the 95% zone).” He will learn next week whether he needs radiation therapy.
“It’s going to be a long summer,” he said. “But the good news is… I will be OK and back to being a cool dude ASAP.”
HPV and Cancer Risk
HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with over 200 related viruses. About 40 types spread through skin-to-skin contact, according to the Canadian Cancer Society. HPV can cause cancer by integrating its viral DNA into a host’s genome, disrupting tumour-suppressing systems and leading to uncontrolled cell growth, per the National Cancer Institute.
In Kasher’s case, the HPV infection led to oropharyngeal cancer, which affects the back of the throat, base of the tongue, and tonsils. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes symptoms can include a long-lasting sore throat, earaches, hoarseness, swollen lymph nodes, pain when swallowing, and unexplained weight loss.
Kasher’s Perspective
In an episode of The Endless Honeymoon Podcast recorded before surgery, Kasher and his wife, comedian Natasha Leggero, discussed the diagnosis. Kasher said he felt fine physically but described the experience as a “reality-altering nightmare.”
“I am sick; I don’t feel sick. My body feels great,” Kasher said, per USA Today. “It has been a really reality-altering nightmare. But also very enlightening and [a] profound time of self-reflection and fear, processing and meditation.”
The surgery removed his tonsils and 25 lymph nodes from his neck. Kasher said the diagnosis was his “worst nightmare” because his father died from a different, less curable cancer found on his neck.
Despite the challenges, Kasher expressed gratitude: “I’m going to be OK. The road to OK is going to be long and pretty arduous.”
