Celebrities With Breast Cancer & How Their Experiences Have Helped Others

According to the World Health Organization, more than 2.3 million women around the world were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020. That equates to one diagnosis every 14 seconds and makes breast cancer the most common type of cancer worldwide.

Although these stats can be alarming, it’s encouraging to know that one-, five- and 10-year survival rates for breast cancer are some of the highest of all cancers affecting women. Thanks, in no small part, to increasingly early detection and treatment as a result of regular screening for breast cancer and factors like monitoring the presence of BRCA gene mutations in women.

One reason for the increase in early detection and reduction in deaths is awareness. As more people choose to share their stories and experiences of breast cancer, more women acquire vital information that can increase their chances of survival. Many of the women who are most vocal about breast cancer awareness are celebrities.
We’re taking a look at some of the famous faces whose lives have been affected by breast cancer and how they’re sharing their stories to help other women.

In 1992, singer and actress Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer on the same weekend that her father passed away from cancer.

She initially discovered a lump and underwent a partial mastectomy, followed by chemotherapy and breast reconstruction surgery. Despite the challenges, Newton-John’s cancer returned in 2013 and again in 2017, but she remained a passionate advocate for breast cancer awareness throughout her journey.
In 2008, she founded the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Wellness & Research Centre in Melbourne, Australia, a facility dedicated to cancer research and wellness programs. Newton-John’s unwavering commitment to cancer advocacy and her efforts to support and inspire others made a significant impact. Her legacy continues to influence and encourage those affected by breast cancer, even after her passing in 2022.

Just 9% of all breast cancer cases are found in women under the age of 45. Australian singer Kylie Minogue was one of these women, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 when she was just 36 years old.

Minogue was in the midst of a world tour when she got the news, which she received after seeking a second opinion about a lump she had found in her breast. While doctors initially missed the tumor, a re-examination revealed breast cancer.
In an interview with People magazine, Minogue noted that it felt like “the earth had kind of slipped off its axis” when she received the news. Despite this, she didn’t let her diagnosis overwhelm her. The singer underwent a lumpectomy and chemotherapy and has been cancer free since 2006.
Minogue hopes that by sharing her story, she encourages women to trust their instincts and seek additional advice if they feel that something may be wrong. “If you have any doubt, go back again,” she said in a 2021 interview with Medicinenet.

Organizational guru Clea Shearer is another celebrity whose story shows the power of trusting your gut and advocating for yourself when it comes to a breast cancer diagnosis.

Shearer had felt a lump in her breast in mid-2021, but had brushed it off without much more thought. Then, just before appearing on the Today show to promote her Netflix show Get Organized With The Home Edit in February 2022, she felt the lump again and called up her – now former – gynecologist.
Rather than treat the matter with any form of urgency, Shearer was placed on a four-month waiting list for an appointment. Fortunately, she didn’t let this stand in her way. She contacted her primary care doctor, who immediately ran various tests, including a mammogram and ultrasound, which indicated that Shearer did indeed have breast cancer.
Since undergoing a double mastectomy and chemotherapy, Shearer has established the Clea Shearer Breast Cancer Research Fund. The foundation aims to raise awareness about the importance of early detection and accessible screening for women.
Shearer also emphasizes the importance of pushing for the medical care you need. “It’s important for all women to advocate for themselves. If someone says you’re too young for a mammogram, but you have symptoms of breast cancer, push for one,” she said in an article written for Women’s Health.

Possibly one of the most well-known celebrity cancer survivors, Sheryl Crow was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in 2006. At the age of 44, Crow’s condition was detected during the course of a routine mammogram. A procedure that she has been tempted to put off because she was “too busy.”

With the early detection having saved her life, Crow is passionate about encouraging all women to attend their annual appointments. “With your diagnosis comes a lesson, and for women who’ve shared their lesson with me, it’s almost always the same: taking care of yourself should be a priority,” she told Health in an interview.
What’s more, she highlights the importance of breast cancer survivors sharing their stories to destigmatize the illness and help other sufferers.
“I’ve spent the past decade sharing my experience with breast cancer with women across the world—from my fans to their sisters, daughters, and mothers—in the hopes that they will learn from my experience and prioritize their health,” Crow wrote in a People magazine op-ed she wrote to promote her new documentary, Sheryl.

Actress Christina Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer in April 2008. Being the daughter of a breast cancer survivor, Applegate had been getting mammograms since the age of 30 and was just 36 when a cancerous lump was detected in her breast.

Applegate immediately underwent a lumpectomy, which revealed that the cancer was localized and hadn’t spread elsewhere. However, after undergoing a test for the BRCA mutation, Applegate found that she had the “breast cancer gene.” Following this, the actress elected to have a double mastectomy as well as having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed.
In an interview with CNN, Applegate noted that the choice to have her breasts removed as a preventative measure brought her a degree of closure. “Radiation was something temporary and it wasn’t addressing the issue of this coming back, or the chance of it coming back in my left breast. I sort of had to kind of weigh all my options at that point.”
“It just seemed like, ‘I don’t want to have to deal with this again. I don’t want to keep putting that stuff in my body. I just want to be done with this.’ And I was just going to let them go,” she said.

Kathy Bates: American actress Kathy Bates was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. She had a double mastectomy, which unfortunately caused her to develop lymphedema in both of her arms.
Jane Fonda: Fonda underwent surgery to remove a non-invasive tumor in her breast in 2010, following which she had a double mastectomy in 2016.
Cynthia Nixon: The Sex and the City star was diagnosed and treated for stage one breast cancer in 2006 after a mass was discovered during a routine mammogram.
Sharon Osbourne: In 2002, Osbourne elected to have a double mastectomy after finding out that she is a carrier of the BRCA gene.
Dame Maggie Smith: The English actress was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 at the age of 73. The tumor was successfully removed, and Smith underwent a full course of chemotherapy.
Shannen Doherty: Actress Shannen Doherty discovered a lump in her breast in 2015, leading to a diagnosis of breast cancer. Her treatment included hormone therapy, a single mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation, followed by reconstructive surgery. Doherty actively shared her journey through social media, raising awareness and supporting others affected by the disease.