On the occasion of the release of his book Showtime, Memories of Chaoss, Laurence Boccolini gave an interview to TV 7 Days, in which she looks back on her career, but also on her state of health.
In this interview, the host revealed that she was suffering from a benign but complex tumor located in one of her ears. Laurence Boccolini clarified that it was an intratympanic paraganglioma, an extremely rare tumor. "It's an extremely rare intratympanic paraganglioma, which has settled in an area that cannot be reached without risking damaging swallowing, my voice, or paralyzing the muscles of my face or shoulder.".
What is paraganglioma?
This pathology is a type of glomus tumor, also known as jugulotympanic paraganglioma. Although noncancerous, these tumors are known to be difficult to treat due to their proximity to sensitive nerve structures. These tumors are most common in the middle ear, although they remain very rare in absolute terms. The most common symptoms include hearing loss and tinnitus.
In the case of Laurence Boccolini, the location of the paraganglioma prevents any surgical intervention without major risk. "There's nothing we can do except try to stop the tumor from growing through radiotherapy. For me, who loves radio so much, this is the height of irony!" she said ironically.
Treatment, when possible, generally combines surgery and/or targeted radiotherapy, in order to limit the progression of the tumor while preserving hearing and neurological functions.
A courageous testimony
This isn't Laurence Boccolini's first battle with illness. She has previously discussed her health issues, including polyarthritis.
The host had admitted to having suffered from the condition for a long time, causing pain, fatigue, and joint deformities, but she wanted to hide it so as not to be reduced to it. In a 2018 Instagram post, she wrote:
“Yes, I have polyarthritis. But I've never talked about it because I refuse to be defined by a disease.”
