Grey's Anatomy: Izzie Has Cancer for Sure

Justin Chambers confirms that Izzie has a tumor on Grey's Anatomy

By Kristin Dos Santos, Jennifer Godwin Mar 06, 2009 6:52 PMTags
Katherine Heigl, Justin Chambers, Grey's AnatomyABC/SCOTT GARFIELD

Let the record show that when cornered, Grey's Anatomy and Private Practice boss Shonda Rhimes will outwit you, even if she has to stretch the truth a little.

Last summer, after tabloid reports surfaced that Izzie Stevens would have a brain tumor this season on Grey's Anatomy, we asked Shonda about the stories and she told us, point-blank "no"—there was no truth the stories.

Nine months later, after viewers rejected the season's major dead Denny plotline as patent nonsense—a situation that might have redeemed itself if those viewers had confirmation that he was a tumor-induced hallucination—Justin Chambers has confirmed that, duh, Izzie has a cancer.

What exactly did he say and when will we see the news onscreen?

According to TV Guide Canada, Justin Chambers (who plays Izzie's boyfriend and fellow doctor Alex Karev) said, "Izzie has cancer, so I'm there to support her...I would expect Alex to shut down a little bit if something awful happens to Izzie, but these are opportunities to see his chivalrous side and his true love for her, so there should be some interesting stuff coming up." (Whoo, Izzie-Alex romance!)

And yes, in next Thursday's all-new episodes of the ABC drama, Izzie's flock of interns will finally nail down her illness, although as far as they know, they're only diagnosing "patient X."

Also in Thursday's ep, Derek fuh-reaks out about his surgical record and Mer seems unable to help, and over on Private Practice, Addy continues her long search for true love. Check out the sneak peek videos below to see for yourself.

Which Grey's storylines are the most intriguing? Izzie's illness? MerDer's love affair? Or are you just hanging in there for more Owen-Cristina romance? And how are you feeling about Private Practice at this point? Is it better now just because it's after G.A., or is it better now because of Charlotte-Cooper-Violet

Post in the comments and don't forget to tune in to both shows next Thursday night.