Patti Scialfa, renowned musician and longtime member of the E Street Band, recently opened up about her private battle with multiple myeloma, a serious form of blood cancer. Scialfa, who is also the wife of rock legend Bruce Springsteen, revealed her diagnosis in 2018 during the new documentary “Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band,” which premiered at the Toronto Film Festival on September 8, according to Variety.
“This illness compromises my immune system, so I need to be mindful of the choices I make regarding where I go and what I do,” Scialfa, 71, explained in the film. “I still make it to a show or two occasionally and even manage to perform a few songs on stage. It’s become my new normal, and I’m okay with that.”
Multiple myeloma, the cancer Scialfa is battling, is a disease that generates malignant plasma cells within the bone marrow, severely impairing the body’s ability to combat infections, as noted by the Mayo Clinic. Currently, there is no cure for this form of cancer.
While Scialfa did not attend the documentary’s premiere, there has been no public update on her current health status or whether she continues to receive treatment for her condition, as reported by Variety.
The E Street Band, which Scialfa joined long before marrying Springsteen in 1991, was established in 1972. The couple’s musical journey together reached a notable milestone in 2014 when Scialfa, along with her fellow band members, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Scialfa’s health battle isn’t the only challenge the band has faced recently. In 2023, Bruce Springsteen himself disclosed health issues, sharing on X (formerly Twitter) that he and the E Street Band had to postpone their concerts due to a peptic ulcer. The following year, Springsteen announced on Instagram that more shows would be delayed until 2025 on doctors’ advice due to vocal problems.
Springsteen later elaborated on his health struggles during an interview on SiriusXM’s E Street Radio, revealing that his ulcer had severely impacted his ability to sing. “One of the biggest issues was that my diaphragm hurt so much I couldn’t sing,” he admitted. “Every attempt was painful, making it impossible to perform.”
Springsteen has also been open about his struggles with both physical and mental health. In a 2012 interview with The New Yorker, he discussed experiencing episodes of depression, with Scialfa noting that therapy had been a significant help.
