NBC to air Farrah Fawcett’s cancer journal

updated 4:50 p.m. ET May 5, 2009

NEW YORK - NBC News next week will air a two-hour special on Farrah Fawcett’s battle with cancer.

“Farrah’s Story” is described as an extremely personal look at how the former “Charlie’s Angels” star is coping and being treated. Fawcett is suffering from anal cancer that has spread to her liver and has suffered complications from an unrelated procedure performed in Germany.

Her friend Alana Stewart shot most of the footage with a home video recorder. Ryan O’Neal and former “Charlie’s Angels” co-stars Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson appear. It follows the 62-year-old actress through treatments in the United States and Germany.

“This film is very personal,” Fawcett said. “At the time, I didn’t know if anybody would ever see it. But at some point, the footage took on a life of its own and dictated that it be seen.”

Fawcett wanted to set the record straight about her diagnosis, treatment and future, said Doug Vaughan, NBC News senior vice president of specials and alternative development.

Fawcett said that she would have liked to have kept her cancer private, but realized others might benefit from learning about her experiences. NBC paid her a licensing fee for the footage, but isn’t saying how much. 

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture between NBC Universal and Microsoft).

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