7th November 1980

Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen

(March 24, 1930 – November 7, 1980)

McQueen died at the age of 50 in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, following an operation to remove or reduce a metastatic tumor in his stomach. He had been diagnosed with mesothelioma (a type of cancer associated with asbestos exposure) in December 1979, and had traveled to Playas de Rosarito, Baja California in July 1980 for unconventional treatment after U.S. doctors advised him that they could do nothing to prolong his life. Controversy arose over McQueen's Mexican trip, because McQueen sought a very non-traditional treatment that used coffee enemas, frequent shampoos, injection of live cells from cows and sheep, massage, and laetrile, a supposedly "natural" anti-cancer drug available in Mexico but not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. McQueen was treated by William Donald Kelley, whose only medical license had been (until it was revoked in 1976) for orthodontistry. Kelley's methods (both medical and promotional) created a sensation in both the traditional and tabloid press when it became known that McQueen was a patient. Despite metastasis of the cancer to much of McQueen's body, Kelley publicly announced that McQueen would be completely cured and return to normal life. However, McQueen's condition worsened and a "huge" tumor developed in his stomach. In late October, 1980, McQueen flew to Ciudad Juarez to have the five-pound abdominal tumor removed, despite the warnings of his U.S. doctors that the tumor was inoperable and that his heart would not withstand the surgery. McQueen died of cardiac arrest one day after the operation. Shortly before his death, McQueen had given a medical interview in which he blamed his condition on asbestos exposure. While McQueen felt that asbestos used in movie soundstage insulation and race-drivers' protective suits and helmets could have been involved, he believed his illness was a direct result of massive exposure while removing asbestos lagging from pipes aboard a troop ship during his time in the Marines.
McQueen was cremated, and his ashes spread in the Pacific Ocean.
Posthumously, McQueen remains one of the most popular stars, and his estate limits the licensing of his image to avoid the commercial oversaturation experienced by some other deceased celebrities. McQueen's personality and trademark rights are managed by Corbis Corporation. In 1999, McQueen was posthumously inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame.