Ryan O'Neal Battling Stage 4 Cancer

Just three years after watching the love of his life, Farrah Fawcett die in his arms, Ryan O'Neal is now facing his own life-or-death cancer diagnosis.

O'Neal is sharing the terrible news with fans, saying: "Recently I was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer. Although I was shocked and stunned by the news, I feel fortunate that it was detected early and, according to my extraordinary team of doctors, the prognosis is positive for a full recovery."

The survival rates for Stage 4 prostate cancer show the struggle O'Neal is facing. One study shows just 20 percent of Stage 4 patients live five years or more.

The actor, now 70, shot to fame in the classic 1970 film Love Story.

In real life, O'Neal was at the side of his iconic girlfriend, Farrah Fawcett, when she died in 2009.