Sherman Hemsley Died From Lung Cancer, Mass on Lung

It is being reported today that Sherman Hemsley, the iconic TV actor who played George Jefferson in “The Jeffersons,” died from a rare form of lung cancer.

According to a post-mortem report from the El Paso County Office of the Medical Examiner, Hemsley was advised by medical experts to undergo chemotherapy and radiation before he developed “superior vena cava syndrome,” caused by a lung mass, which ultimately precipitated his death.

Superior vena cava syndrome occurs when the superior vena cava, one of the body’s major veins, is obstructed, most commonly because of a cancer or tumor. The superior vena cava is responsible for returning blood to the heart that comes from the upper part of the body.   On all other accounts, the medical examiner noted that Hemsley was healthy.

Sherman Hemsley passed away in his El Paso, Texas, home on July 24 at the age of 74.