This 'weird' symptom led to Michael Bolton's life-saving diagnosis of rare cancer
Key Takeaways
Industry Buzz
“Everything that happened was weird for him but not super alarming. When you look back at everything together … We missed so many things.” — Taryn Bolton
Find more of your peers' perspectives and insights below.
Michael Bolton’s glioblastoma diagnosis started with some odd symptoms that could easily be written off as stress or fatigue. His family noticed balance issues, nausea, and strange behavior—things that didn’t seem like a big deal at first. Now, Bolton is finally opening up about the symptoms that led to his diagnosis, offering a timely reminder for physicians to stay vigilant.
He had just finished a busy stint with The Masked Singer and an album release, so his daughter Taryn thought it might just be stress. “Is this stress? Is this sleep?” she recalled in a PEOPLE interview. But things took a strange turn during a family bowling night after Thanksgiving. Bolton kept bowling out of turn, and then something even more unusual happened.
"He fell out of his chair to the left, which is very unusual. He’s super athletic, and he doesn’t drink. So he fell, and we were like, ‘What just happened?’"
— Taryn Bolton
An MRI confirmed it: Bolton had glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor. This is a big reminder for us as physicians: don’t dismiss unusual symptoms. Balance issues, weird behavior, and nausea may seem minor, but they could be signs of something serious like glioblastoma.
After surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, Bolton is recovering, though he’s still dealing with memory and mobility challenges. Despite the setbacks, he remains positive and is surrounded by family.
Bolton’s story highlights the importance of staying alert to those “weird” symptoms. When something doesn’t feel right, it’s worth investigating further. Early diagnosis is key to better outcomes.
Read Next: Patients suffer when these rare neurological conditions are misdiagnosed