Most of the time, when we think about celebrities, we only imagine their money and fame. We get starstruck in an instant when we spot one, but we sometimes don’t realize that while these stars may be famous they are actually just like us.
As far from normal as celebrities may seem, they are at the same risk as we are of being diagnosed with breast cancer. With October being National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we thank these brave women for sharing their stories who have fought and won their battle against breast cancer:
Sheryl Crow
After her yearly mammogram in 2006, the 44 year-old singer was diagnosed with breast cancer. Having caught the disease in its early stages, Sheryl underwent minimal invasive surgery for a lumpectomy and received radiation treatment. Even though the songstress was forced to postpone a tour to go into surgery, she says that she is “a walking advertisement for early detection.” She is an active member of the Stand Up To Cancer organization, and has even lobbied Congress in favor of a bill that would research the environmental causes of breast cancer.
Kylie Minogue
The Australian pop star almost lost her chance to fight due to a misdiagnosis. Lucky for her, she went in for a second round of tests with the doctors finding a lump in her left breast. A partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation followed. Minogue, who has been cancer-free for five years, encourages all women to trust their gut and never hesitate to get a second opinion. “Just because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right,” she told Ellen DeGeneres in 2007.
Cynthia Nixon
One of our favorite Sex and the City ladies, Nixon discovered she had a cancerous tumor in her right breast after having a routine mammogram in 2006. The actress opted to wait two years until she revealed her condition it to the public. Nixon, whose mother also survived breast cancer, knew she had to take action. She had a lumpectomy followed by six and a half weeks of radiation to eliminate the tumor. Cynthia is now an ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, striving to raise funds, awareness, and empower women who are also battling this disease.
Christina Applegate
Being diagnosed at the age of 36, Applegate is proof that breast cancer can strike at an early age. As the daughter of breast cancer survivor and because of the denseness of her breasts, Christina went a step beyond her routine mammogram and received an MRI screening in 2008. Christina paid a high price to ensure her breast cancer would never come back. The actress opted to have both her breasts removed in an operation called a prophylactic double mastectomy, even though cancerous lumps were only found in one breast. She is now in the process of launching a new foundation for high-risk women who don’t have the financial means for MRI screenings.
Giuliana Rancic
The host of E! News and her own reality show, Giuliana & Bill, revealed in October 2011 that she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It was through an IVF infertility treatment that Giuliana Rancic’s doctor discovered the tumor from a mammogram. After the disease was caught in the early stages, Giuliana weighed the pros and cons of several treatment options and opted to have a double mastectomy. She went back to work on December 27, just 2 weeks after surgery, and has been an advocate for routine mammograms for early detection ever since.
Help Lucille Roberts support the fight against breast cancer by donating to Shop For A Cure!
Share your thoughts on Facebook and Twitter: @LucilleRoberts
