Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed among women in the United States. The cancer accounts for 30% of all new female cancers each year, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The median age of those diagnosed is 62, according to the source. Throughout a woman’s life, there is a one in eight chance a woman will develop the cancer, the ACS says. Many Hollywood celebrities have been diagnosed with cancer and have come out on the other side cancer free. A lot of these celebrities have taken the opportunity to raise awareness about breast cancer with their large fan bases.
Here are a few celebrities who have beaten breast cancer, and what they had to say.
Rita Wilson has spoken about the support of her husband, Tom Hanks, during her breast cancer battle. (Jim Spellman/WireImage)
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- Julia Louis-Dreyfus
- Christina Applegate
- Sheryl Crow
- Rita Wilson
- Cynthia Nixon
1. Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Julia Louis-Dreyfus took to social media in September 2017 to share her cancer diagnosis. “One in 8 women get breast cancer,” the “Seinfeld” actress wrote. “Today I’m the one.”
“The good news is that I have the most glorious group of supportive and caring family and friends, and fantastic insurance through my union,” she wrote. “The bad news is that not all women are so lucky, so let’s fight all cancers and make universal healthcare a reality,” she continued.
Louis-Dreyfus went through six rounds of chemotherapy and a double mastectomy following her treatment. She announced that she was cancer-free in 2018.
“You hear it all the time, but the people that I relied on the most, besides the very capable doctors and nurses who took care of me, were my family and my close friends,” she told People in 2020.
“I was surrounded by people who were supporting me,” she added. “That was hugely meaningful, and I needed it. It helped me to believe I was going to get through.”
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2017. (Randy Holmes)
2. Christina Applegate
The popular actress was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 36 years old. She was diagnosed in 2008 and received a double mastectomy. This diagnosis also led her later to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.
“Two weeks ago, I had my ovaries and [fallopian] tubes removed,” the actress told Today.com in a 2017 interview. “My cousin passed away from ovarian cancer in 2008. I could prevent that.”
“That’s how I’ve taken control of everything,” she said of the recent surgeries. “It’s a relief. That’s one other thing off the table,” the actress said.
Christine Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 and multiple sclerosis in 2021. (Gilbert Flores/Variety)
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Applegate later received a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 2021.
3. Sheryl Crow
Singer Sheryl Crow was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. After being diagnosed, she emphasized the importance of woman getting their breast screenings done.
When she was diagnosed, she nearly skipped the mammogram appointment that revealed her cancer. She talked further about her diagnosis in the 2022 documentary, “Sheryl.”
“I’ve always been a healthy person who prioritized eating well and exercising, but at that time it seemed impossible to focus on anything other than getting through each day and keeping my career going. Naturally, I found myself tempted to delay my annual mammogram visit — like so many women do when dealing with stressful periods of life, whether during a pandemic, career change, family issues, or just the daily grind,” she told People in 2022.
Singer Sheryl Crow has talked about the importance of breast cancer screenings. (Gilbert Flores/WWD via Getty Images)
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“My story is a testament that you can go on to live a long, healthy life after diagnosis,” she said. “As a breast cancer survivor who credits early detection for saving my life, I have made it part of my life story to help educate women about the importance of scheduling their annual mammograms.”
4. Rita Wilson
Rita Wilson was diagnosed with lobular carcinoma in situ, which left her closely monitoring for breast cancer. Her initial tests showed that she did not have breast cancer, but she made the decision to get a second opinion. This second opinion revealed her breast cancer in 2015.
“A friend who had breast cancer suggested I get a second opinion on my pathology and my gut told me that was the thing to do,” Wilson said in a statement to People. She ended up going to two other pathologists, who both confirmed that she had breast cancer.
“I am recovering and most importantly, expected to make a full recovery,” Wilson shared. “Why? Because I caught this early, have excellent doctors and because I got a second opinion.”
She also has talked about her husband Tom Hanks’ supportive spirit during the difficult time.
“Who knew it would make you even closer?” Wilson told the New York Times in May 2015. “You never know how your spouse is going to react in a situation like this. I was so amazed, so blown away by the care my husband gave me. It was such a normal, intimate time.”
5. Cynthia Nixon
“Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon initially kept her breast cancer diagnosis under wraps.
She learned about her breast cancer during a routine mammogram. Her mother also had breast cancer, so she started receiving annual mammograms earlier than the average, when she was 35. She had a lumpectomy and six and a half weeks of radiation.
“I didn’t really want to make it public while I was going through it,” Nixon told “Nightline” in 2008. “I didn’t want paparazzi at the hospital, that kind of thing.”
Cynthia Nixon quietly battled breast cancer before going public with her diagnosis. (Santiago Felipe/Getty Images)
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When Nixon opened up about her diagnosis, she shared details about the day she found out about her breast cancer.
“I go for my completely routine mammogram and then I get a call from my gynecologist. And she says, ‘Well, I have some – it’s not such great news, but here it is, but it’s very small and we’re just going to get in there and take it right out, right away, and then you’ll probably have radiation,” she told ABC.
“I felt scared. And I thought, ‘Oh, I don’t want this to be happening.’ I was very cognizant of if it’s going to happen, this is the best way for it to happen, that it’s found so early and we can just get right on it.”
