(ProsperNews.net) – Actor Gary Sinise’s son has died from a rare cancer at the age of 33. Sinise, best known for his roles in CSI cop shows and for starring opposite Tom Hanks in Forest Gump, announced his son’s death on Instagram with a photo and a caption reading, “In Honor & Memory of McCanna ‘Mac’ Sinise 1990-2024.”
The actor said he and his family are heartbroken at the end of a five-year battle against the rare cancer known as chordoma. Mac was diagnosed in 2018, the same year Sinise’s wife Moira received a breast cancer diagnosis. Mr. Sinise described both events as a “real punch in the gut.”
Moira Sinese went into remission in September 2018, around the same time her son had a tumor removed. While she has stayed cancer-free, Mac’s cancer returned in 2019 and spread throughout his body. Having received four bouts of spinal surgery, as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, he became paralyzed from the chest down in 2020.
Nevertheless, the passionate musician still had use of his right hand and used it to make music on his iPad. In 2023, he completed a musical piece he began working on as a student at USC Thornton School of Music.
Chordoma is a slow-developing cancer that usually begins with a tumor on the spine or base of the skull. The cancer spreads in only around 30% to 40% of diagnosed patients and impacts approximately 300 people in the US every year and 700 people in Europe. It usually affects individuals in their 50s or 60s but can occur at any age.
Signs and symptoms include headaches, blurred vision, and neck pain, but these can progress to loss of sensation, particularly in the face, and paralysis of speech and swallow function. A patient’s prognosis depends on several factors, including age, health, and the type and location of the initial tumor. Some patients can live for a decade with successful treatment, while others can recover fully.
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