Beth Chapman's Long Battle with Stage 4 Throat Cancer

Friend, mother, and inspiration. Beth Chapman has left a long legacy behind her and she will be sorely missed by fans.

The wife of Duane Chapman (Dog the Bounty Hunter), is best known for her part in the reality show “Dog the Bounty Hunter” and it’s spinoffs. She had been battling cancer for almost two years.

Her cancer battle took her on a rollercoaster journey to recovery before she relapsed again. Beth, however, did not let it slow her down and maintained most of her lifestyle.

Right till her last hospital stay the stunning bounty hunter was still working, appearing on their show, partying and even regularly posting about her life on social media.

First Brush With Cancer

The stunning blonde was first diagnosed with throat cancer in September 2017. She had been rushed to the hospital after she started having severe trouble breathing.

“I’ve spent a lifetime facing tests and challenges I didn’t see coming and certainly never expected," said Beth.

The 64-year-old Chapman was diagnosed with stage 2 throat cancer. Her husband, Dog took to Facebook to share the news with their fans, friends, and family.

She underwent a surgery that lasted for about 13 hours to remove the tumor in her throat. The surgery was a success and she was able to breathe easier.

Beth told her friends about her diagnosis in a letter in September 2017. She wrote:

“I’ve spent a lifetime facing tests and challenges I didn’t see coming and certainly never expected. I’ve been dealt my share of unexpected blows over the course of my almost 50 years but nothing as serious as the one I heard from my doctors two weeks ago when they uttered those dreaded three words, ‘You have cancer.'”

Cancer Free

Her fight was the subject of a two-hour TV special “Dog and Beth: Fight of Their Lives” in November. During the special, the couple receives amazing news. A phone call from a doctor revealed that Beth was cancer-free.

“There is a God. This could be a miracle. This could be a healing,” Dog said supportively. “[The doctor] said if I wasn’t such a good husband it wouldn’t have worked out that great. Oh, I can breathe. Beth Chapman, you did it.”

Terrifying Relapse

Unfortunately, their celebrations were short-lived and the couple was tested yet again. Beth was rushed to the emergency room on November 26, 2018, after she started to feel sick.

Doctors discovered a massive lump in her throat.

When she was admitted, doctors immediately rushed her into the operating theatre. The operation revealed devastating news. Her throat cancer had returned.

On November 28, 2018, Beth underwent emergency surgery at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to remove a tumor. Her son revealed on social media that the surgery was life-threatening.

Doctors discovered a massive lump in her throat. This growth was twice the size of the tumor she had removed the year before.

After the surgery, Dog the Bounty Hunter gave fans a short update about his wife's condition saying,

“She had a lump in her throat twice the size of last time, and they performed an emergency surgery yesterday. They cut a hole in her throat so she can breathe; she can still talk.”

A statement from Chapman's Attorney later confirmed the diagnosis saying,

"I can confirm that unfortunately, her cancer has returned. The doctors say it’s serious and are evaluating her treatment options. We’re all hoping for the best."

Beth also revealed the news on her Instagram later that month. She revealed that it was “another bend in the road yet not the end of the road.”

Stage 4 Cancer:

Duane revealed in December 2018 that Chapman's cancer had spread throughout her throat and lungs. He added that it was now "incurable" and had become stage four lung cancer.

“The other day she said to me, ‘I’m not sure, but I could be dying,'” he revealed while holding back tears. “She said, ‘I want you to look where I’m at. I’m on the road, chasing bad guys with my family, Duane.'” You know, when we’re out there chasing bad guys we don’t think about it. It’s not even real.”

Beth eventually opened up about her stage 4 cancer battle. She dubbed it “a much different animal to attack."

Treatment Journey

According to reports, this time the bounty hunting star was limited with regards to possible treatment options as her cancer was much more advanced. Beth reportedly began chemotherapy in January 2019.

Duane later revealed that Beth is not using “conventional treatment.” She had instead opted to utilize alternative medicine.

“We need to all be far more open-minded to new treatments.

Dog revealed his frustration towards conventional treatments saying,

“They don’t work. They don’t work! There’s nothing, they’ve got nothing. They’ve got a bill to send you. It’s a multi-trillion dollar industry, cancer, and they lie to you. Watch, some day they’re going to get sentenced. It’s criminal what they do.”

Beth later explained that she was researching the medicinal properties of cannabidiol, commonly referred to as CBD oil. In February, she said:

“We need to all be far more open-minded to new treatments. Israel is leading the world in these studies. We no longer need to poison patients to get them well."

Family Support & New Show

Her husband Duane “Dog” Chapman “vowed” to be Beth's support system and stayed by her side throughout her battle. Dog and Beth’s latest reality show was reportedly a welcome distraction from the health battle Beth was going through.

“We just took off a couple days ago to do a three-week shoot and the first thing I thought about was, ‘Oh my God, my honey’s got cancer!'” he confessed.

He added, “so I’ve got to keep her busy. I’m sure that’s scriptural somewhere. I’ve got to keep her busy and off her mind and all the positive things and I’m not going to let her die. I’m Chiricahua [a Native American tribe] and I believe in G-O-D. That is my name spelled backwards and I’ve never had such a challenge in my life. I am there for her and I’m not going to let her die.”

The doting husband also revealed that at the time Beth was “feeling fine” and staying positive. The inseparable couple has been together nearly 31 years and Dog explained he fell in love with Beth “all over again” throughout this process.

Another Scare:

Then in April 2019, Beth was hit with yet another health scare. The reality television star was rushed to the hospital again when she began struggling with her breathing while in Hawaii.

Her doctors confirmed the incident was caused by a complication from her cancer treatments. She was admitted because of “an accumulation of fluid in her lungs.”

A source said, "Doctors performed an emergency procedure to alleviate pressure that had built up.”

After the procedure, Beth returned home and spent her time resting. Since then, the star has continued enjoying time with her family and appearing on their new show.

Turn for the worse:

On June 22, 2019, Beth took a turn for the worse. She was rushed to hospital where she was placed in ICU.

The family revealed that Beth was placed in a medically-induced coma at the Queen’s Medical Center. In a statement, Duane Chapman stated that the entire family “humbly ask everyone to please pray for Beth."

According to TMZ, the blonde bombshell was rushed to hospital over the weekend after a choking episode. Chapman was reportedly extremely agitated and pulled at her intravenous tubes.

The tabloid site went on to say that the entire family including her mother, children, and grandchildren gathered around her hospital bed.

"Family sources say there's not a lot that can be done for Beth and at this point, and the family is making medical decisions with the help of her doctors."

At the time, Duane took to Twitter to ask fans to be careful about the news they receive and promised to give fans updates as soon as possible. Beth's condition continued to deteriorate.

Her family opened up to the press that her condition "was very grave." The Chapman's had feared that this was Beth's last days.

Unfortunately, on June 26, 2019, Beth breathed her last. Duane took to social media to post a heartbreaking farewell to his beloved wife saying, "we all love you, Beth. See you on the other side."

Beth is survived by children, Bonnie, Cecily, Garry, and Dominic Davis and her husband Duane Chapman.

Cancer Awareness:

Beth's journey has contributed greatly to cancer awareness. Cancer can affect anyone and may appear in any part of the body.

It is caused when the body’s cells begin to divide rapidly and spread into surrounding tissues. The growth results in tumors (lumps of cells) which adversely affect surrounding organs.

The AmoMama editorial team empathize with the pain of this tremendous loss. Our thoughts remain with Beth’s family during this difficult time. For more information about Cancer, refer to the National Cancer Institute: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer