Suzanne Somers’ new book on alternative cancer remedies; latest celeb attack on mainstream med

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ten years and $2.5 billion in research have found no cures from alternative medicine. Yet these mostly unproven treatments are now mainstream and used by more than a third of all Americans. This is one in an occasional series examining their use and potential risks.

Lucy of ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds’ fame dies at age 46 of lupus

LONDON — Lucy Vodden, who provided the inspiration for the Beatles’ classic song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” has died after a long battle with lupus. She was 46.

Cancer survivors Hamilton, Hamill back on ice skates for TV special aimed at inspiration

LOS ANGELES — Scott Hamilton will skate on TV for the first time since battling a brain tumor, joining fellow Olympian and cancer survivor Dorothy Hamill for a Thanksgiving Day special intended to inspire viewers to triumph over illness.

Publicist says actress Kristin Chenoweth fine after experiencing migraine after Emmy win

LOS ANGELES — A publicist for Kristin Chenoweth says paramedics checked out the actress after her Emmy win, but that she’s doing fine.

Elizabeth Taylor raises HIV funds through fashion, will attend fundraiser she helped establish

LOS ANGELES — Elizabeth Taylor is lending her timeless style to a fashion show that raises money and awareness for HIV and AIDS.

‘Housewives’ star Kathryn Joosten’s lung cancer returns; she says she hopes to educate

NEW YORK — Kathryn Joosten (JOO’-sten), who plays the crotchety Karen McCluskey on ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” is battling a recurrence of lung cancer.

‘Early Show’ host Harry Smith takes sick day, tells CBS viewers he thinks he has swine flu

NEW YORK — “Early show” host Harry Smith has taken a sick day from work, telling viewers he thinks he has swine flu.

Armani says he feels “marvelously” well after months-long battle with hepatitis

MILAN — Designer Giorgio Armani said Thursday he was feeling “marvelously well” after winning a months-long battle with hepatitis.

Longtime Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell, who is 91 years old, has cancer

DETROIT — Ernie Harwell, the 91-year-old Baseball Hall of Fame honoree and longtime broadcaster for the Detroit Tigers, said Friday that he has inoperable cancer.

Reports: Longtime Tigers announcer Ernie Harwell, who is 91 years old, has incurable cancer

Longtime broadcaster Ernie Harwell, who spent 42 of his 55 years as a broadcaster calling Detroit Tigers games, has been diagnosed with an incurable cancer, several media outlets reported Thursday.

Terminally ill Charles Manson follower Susan Atkins denied parole

CHOWCHILLA, Calif. — Susan Atkins, the terminally ill Charles Manson follower who admitted stabbing actress Sharon Tate to death 40 years ago, lost what could be her last bid for freedom Wednesday.

Got a tin ear? Study suggests faulty brain connections keeping you from being a rock star

NEW YORK — Do your friends cover their ears when you sing along with the radio? Does the choir director ask you to lip-sync?

Coroner: Heart disease killed author E. Lynn Harris, pioneer of gay black fiction

LOS ANGELES — A coroner’s official says heart disease, complicated by high blood pressure and a hardening of the arteries, is what killed author E. Lynn Harris last week.

Billy Joel postpones 2nd upstate NY show after coming down with flu-like illness

ALBANY, N.Y. — Billy Joel and Elton John have postponed a second upstate New York concert on their top-grossing tour after Joel fell ill with flu-like symptoms.

Beastie Boys say Adam Yauch has ‘treatable’ cancer; group cancels concert appearances

NEW YORK — In an upbeat video, Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch announced via the group’s Web site that he has a “very treatable” cancerous tumor in his salivary gland and a nearby lymph node.

Actor Rupert Grint, Ron Weasley in ‘Harry Potter’ films, recovering from swine flu

LONDON — The agent for “Harry Potter” star Rupert Grint says the actor is recovering from a mild case of swine flu.

Spokesman: Country singer Ferlin Husky hospitalized in Tenn. with possible pneumonia

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A spokesman for country star Ferlin Husky says the singer has been hospitalized in Tennessee.

Farrah Fawcett’s death from rare disease may remove stigma from a taboo topic, experts say

ATLANTA — In a perverse twist of medical fate, Farrah Fawcett has become the poster girl for anal cancer, a rare disease often linked to a sexually transmitted virus.

Life of ‘Charlie’s Angels’ star and American pinup icon Farrah Fawcett celebrated at LA funeral

LOS ANGELES — The life of “Charlie’s Angels” star Farrah Fawcett was celebrated Tuesday at a private funeral in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. Her longtime companion, Ryan O’Neal, 68, was among pallbearers who accompanied the casket, covered in yellow and orange flowers, into the Roman Catholic cathedral.

‘Charlie’s Angels’ star and American pinup icon Farrah Fawcett being remembered at funeral

LOS ANGELES — The life of “Charlie’s Angels” star Farrah Fawcett was celebrated Tuesday at a private, music-filled funeral that one participant called “stirring.”

Kevin Bacon and brother perform on top of Pikes Peak to raise money for cancer charity

DENVER — Actor Kevin Bacon hiked 14,110-foot Pikes Peak Saturday to play a concert at the top as part of an event to raise money for a cancer charity.

‘View’ co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck says no merit to claim she plagiarized gluten-free book

BOSTON — “The View” co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck says a claim that she plagiarized parts of her best-selling diet book is “without merit.”

Youngest Jonas brother visits White House, Congress to press for funding diabetes research

WASHINGTON — The youngest Jonas brother spent Tuesday lobbying Washington’s power brokers on behalf of diabetes research — starting with the big guy, President Barack Obama.

Author accuses ‘View’ co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck of plagiarism in gluten-free diet book

BOSTON — Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a co-host of ABC’s “The View,” has been accused of plagiarism.

LA County backtracks on number of HIV cases in adult film performers

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles County public health officials are backtracking on the number of HIV cases in adult film performers.

Another porn star tests positive for HIV; Calif. to investigate amid fears of new infections

LOS ANGELES — State health officials are looking into the latest HIV case reported in California’s multibillion-dollar porn industry, fearing that reckless practices on film sets might be raising the risk of new infections.

Real woman in Beatles’ “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” is very ill; helped by Julian Lennon

LONDON — They were childhood chums. Then they drifted apart, lost touch completely, and only renewed their friendship decades later, when illness struck.

Natalie Cole announces her first post-kidney transplant concert; thanks fans for support

NEW YORK — Natalie Cole is preparing for her comeback performance less than a month after a successful kidney transplant.

Edie Falco returns to series TV as the star of Showtime’s caustic comedy ‘Nurse Jackie’

NEW YORK — It was two years ago, almost to the day, that everything went black.