Actress Karen Black has lost her battle with cancer.

The 74-year-old Easy Rider star passed away on Thursday (08Aug13) in Los Angeles, according to her husband Stephen Eckelberry, who broke the sad news on his Facebook.com page.

In a post he writes, "It is with great sadness that I have to report that my wife and best friend, Karen Black has just passed away, only a few minutes ago. Thank you all for all your prayers and love, they meant so much to her as they did to me."

Black was diagnosed with ampullary cancer in November 2010, a rare form of the disease which affects the bile duct, and she had one-third of her pancreas removed.

She went public with her health battle in 2012 and in March (13) launched an appeal to help fund her treatment on fundraising website Kickstarter.com, which managed to smash its $17,000 (£10,000) target.

Black earned an Best Supporting Actress Academy Award nomination for 1970 movie Five Easy Pieces, for which she also won a Golden Globe and a New York Film Critics Award for her portrayal of waitress Rayette Dipesto.

She also starred in movies including The Great Gatsby (1974) and Nashville (1975).