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Scialfa spoke publicly for the first time about her 2018 multiple myeloma diagnosis in the new documentary "Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band". The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday, Sept. 8, People magazine reported.
The Deal native said the cancer has forced her to perform less with her husband and the E Street Band.
"This affects my immune system so I just have to be careful what I choose to do and where I choose to go," Scialfa said in the documentary. "Every once in a while, I come to a show or two and I can sing a few songs onstage, and that’s been a treat. That’s the new normal for me right now, and I’m OK with that."
According to the American Cancer Society, multiple myeloma is a cancer of plasma cells found in bone marrow where new blood cells are formed.
"In multiple myeloma, the overgrowth of plasma cells in the bone marrow can crowd out normal blood-forming cells, leading to low blood counts," the ACS website said.
Scialfa, 71, has been a member of Springsteen's iconic rock band since 1984 and the couple got married in 1991. They have three children together including Jessica Springsteen, who won a silver medal in equestrian with Team USA at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
The documentary followed Springsteen and the band as they prepared for and began their ongoing global concert tour. It's the group's first since The River Tour wrapped up in 2017.
Scialfa said her diagnosis came as the couple played in the "Springsteen on Broadway" residency in New York City.
"I’ve been performing with this band for 40 years," Scialfa said in the doc. "With those first performances, it felt so good to be back onstage. Touring has become a challenge for me."
Springsteen, 74, has also suffered setbacks during his latest tour. The Freehold native had to postpone many concerts in 2023 after he was diagnosed with COVID-19 and peptic ulcer disease in separate instances.
The tour resumed in March 2024, less than two months after the death of Bruce's mother Adele Springsteen. She was 98 years old.
The "Road Diary" documentary spoke with more than a dozen E Street Band members, according to People. Two deceased members of the band, saxophonist Clarence Clemons and organist Danny Federici, also have interviews featured in the doc.
"Road Diary: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band" will be available to stream on Hulu and Disney+ on Friday, Oct. 25.
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