• Kathy Griffin recently revealed on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” that she is lung-cancer-free.
• The comedian was diagnosed with lung cancer in August and recently underwent surgery to remove half of her affected lung.

On a recent appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian Kathy Griffin revealed that she is cancer-free.

Griffin, who was diagnosed with stage 1 lung cancer in August 2021, recently underwent laparoscopic surgery to remove half of her left lung. The surgery was a success, though her voice has temporarily changed: The star joked that she now sounds like “Minnie Mouse meets Marilyn Monroe.” As a result of the surgery, Griffin also decided to debut her new drag name: “Diva Half-a-Lungoria,” a nod to actress Eva Longoria.

Griffin shared with Kimmel that she had lived with a tumor for 10 years before it was detected. She had also never smoked. Although the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) names cigarette smoking the No. 1 risk factor for lung cancer, it is possible for people who’ve never smoked to develop lung cancer as well.

According to the Moffitt Cancer Center, 10 percent of men and 25 percent of women who develop lung cancer have never smoked. The rate of lung cancer in those who have never smoked is also on the rise — particularly in women.

Griffin has communicated with her fans and supporters throughout her journey with lung cancer. On Sept. 2, she posted a text image on Instagram showcasing her characteristic sarcasm: “One thing that sucks about cancer,” she wrote, is that “it’s hard to focus on anything else when one is experiencing shortness of breath, deep coughing, pain, extreme fatigue & in my case, vocal chord issues. One thing that doesn’t suck about cancer … how shameless I am when clapping back at people who dare to sass Ms Kathy about anything with, ‘Really, [expletive]??? Try CANCER!’ I cannot get enough of it. 😈 🤣”

Now recovering from her surgery, Griffin shared that she has returned to acting with a role on HBO’s dark comedy “Search Party.”