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Tatiana Schlossberg Reveals Terminal Cancer Diagnosis in Poignant Essay
Tatiana Schlossberg, the 35-year-old granddaughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy, disclosed in a New Yorker essay over the weekend that she has been diagnosed with terminal acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an aggressive blood cancer. Doctors have given her less than a year to live-a revelation that has moved readers nationwide and drawn attention to the urgent need for cancer research funding.
Diagnosis and Rare Subtype
Schlossberg, the daughter of designer Edwin Schlossberg and diplomat Caroline Kennedy, described in her essay, A Battle With My Blood, how her diagnosis came shortly after giving birth to her second child in May 2024. Routine blood tests revealed an abnormally high white-blood cell count, leading to the discovery of AML-a cancer that attacks both bone marrow and blood.
Her subtype, a chromosomal abnormality once called Inversion 3, is exceptionally rare, affecting just 1-2% of AML patients. This mutation makes her cancer particularly resistant to treatment, with few effective therapies available. "Remissions or cures are the minority," noted Courtney DiNardo, a leukemia professor at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Treatment Struggles and Clinical Trials
Schlossberg underwent multiple treatments, including a bone marrow transplant from her sister, chemotherapy, and a clinical trial for CAR-T-cell therapy-a groundbreaking immunotherapy that engineers a patient's T-cells to target cancer. While CAR-T has shown promise for other leukemias, its efficacy for AML remains limited, according to Vijay Sankaran, a physician at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
In her final trial, doctors told her they could extend her life by "a year, maybe." The essay details the physical toll of treatment, including hair loss and the emotional strain of battling cancer while raising two young children.
Criticism of Funding Cuts Amid Personal Battle
Schlossberg's essay also highlights her frustration with her cousin, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., whose recent budget cuts have slashed nearly $500 million in research funding, including for mRNA technology-a field with potential applications in cancer treatment. Kennedy, a vocal vaccine skeptic, justified the cuts by claiming mRNA "poses more risks than benefits" for respiratory viruses.
Experts warn the cuts have had a broader chilling effect. "Researchers are afraid to propose mRNA-based cancer trials," said Jeff Coller, a Johns Hopkins professor specializing in RNA therapeutics. The NIH, once a global leader in biomedical research, now faces constraints that limit innovation, Sankaran added: "You need more shots on goal to develop successful therapies."
Advocacy for Awareness and Research
Physicians emphasize that Schlossberg's case-despite her access to elite care-underscores the critical gaps in cancer treatment. "She continues to have a poor prognosis with the best tools we have," Sankaran said. "It underscores our need to do better for all patients."
AML is rare, affecting four in 100,000 adults annually, but its sudden onset and resistance to treatment make it deadly. Schlossberg's public battle has amplified calls for increased funding to develop better screening and therapies, particularly for treatment-resistant cancers.
"It's such an obviously moving and courageous essay," Sankaran said. "She comes from a prominent family, yet anyone can be affected-even the young and seemingly healthy."
