Valerie Harper Brain Cancer Remission Joy [VIDEO]: “I Don’t Think Of Dying. I Think Of Being Here Now”; Doctor Cautions Remission is Temporary

Valerie Harper Brain Cancer Remission: Valerie Harper, star of the Mary Tyler Moore Show and spinoff Rhoda

When she was diagnosed with brain cancer, doctors thought Valerie Harper had only 3 months to live, but she is close to remission instead.

Valerie Harper's brain cancer physician, Dr. Jeremy Rudnick, said on the Today Show: "I'd say that we're getting pretty close to a remission."

However, he cautions that the brain cancer will eventually become resistant to treatment despite the temporary remission: "It's not a matter of if.  It's a matter of when."

Watch Valerie Harper Brain Cancer Remission Video Here:

Valerie Harper has a form of brain cancer called leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, a rare condition that occurs when cancer cells spread into the fluid-filled membrane surrounding the brain.

"This is a really complicated condition," says Dr. Jeremy Rudnick, Harper's neuro-oncologist, told People magazine about Valerie Harper's brain cancer. "The spinal fluid is a collection of fluid that's being circulated [through the brain] kind of like a sink. The fluid itself is growing cancer cells so they are multiplying in there. Those cells start to coat the brain."

According to Dr. Rudnick, the first symptoms of this form of brain cancer often include seizures, blurry vision and severe headaches, along with "a belt-like sensation" across the midsection.  Valerie Harper described her first brain cancer symptoms as feeling like a shot of novacaine.

Valerie Harper is rumored to be joining the cast of Dancing with the Stars. 

In March, Valerie Harper told People magazine about her brain cancer: "I don't think of dying.  I think of being here now."