This October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and here at Fashom, we are aiming to help out with that awareness. Many celebrities who are diagnosed cope by using their star status to raise awareness of the disease and share their stories so that others with breast cancer will know they are not alone. Here are some celebrities who have faced breast cancer:
Sandra Lee
Celebrity chef Sandra Lee announced in May 2015 that she had been diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) at age 48 following a routine screening mammogram. She initially had a lumpectomy to treat it, but, as Lee told Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts in an interview, “When the lumpectomy was done, they did not have clean margins.” Lee reported being told she was “a ticking time bomb” and advised to have a double mastectomy, which she did.
Giuliana Rancic
The former E! News host and star of E!’s Giuliana & Bill show revealed she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in October 2011. The then 36-year-old Rancic had gotten a mammogram before receiving another round of IVF treatment for infertility when her doctor discovered the tumor. In December 2011, she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery.
Christina Applegate
Breast cancer is much more common among older women, but it does sometimes occur in younger women. Actress Christina Applegate, diagnosed with breast cancer at age 36 in April 2008, is an example. Applegate first underwent a lumpectomy, but after learning that she had the BRCA genetic mutation (aka the “breast cancer gene”), she opted for a double mastectomy.
Olivia Newton-John
Singer Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 after a self-examination, which led her to her doctor for further testing. “I wasn’t feeling right, and I had found lumps before, but this time, it just felt different,” she said. Even after a mammogram and needle biopsy came out negative, “my instincts were telling me that something wasn’t right,” she recalled. “After a surgical biopsy, they found the cancer.”
These strong women are so inspiring to us here at Fashom and to so many others. We love how they are sharing their stories and experiences to help make a change, way to go ladies!
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