All you need to remember is that, this too shall pass! 
Breast cancer is among the most common types of cancers. It is diagnosed in one out of every 8 women. In case you did not know, even men can develop breast cancer. These tumors may go unnoticed unless proper awareness is there. Because of its hereditary nature, breast cancer does not vary with the kind of lifestyle a woman leads, and as a result of this, no amount of fame and stardom can keep it away. It does not matter whether you are a famous person or an ordinary soul, anybody can get breast cancer. Celebrities who have successfully fought breast cancer have shared their stories and these stories should be promoted to encourage awareness as well as promote solidarity among other women battling this disease.
Suggested read: After defeating cancer, this is what she did to wear her wounds of war with pride
Actress Angelina Jolie chose to publicize her decision of undergoing an anticipatory double mastectomy. Her choice was very courageous not just as an actress who is expected to be a ‘perfect lady,’ but Angelina also shone as a woman who let everyone know that she is human just like you and I! Her announcement earned applause for her openness and courage. She, however, is not the first celebrity to do so. From Christina Applegate to Robin Roberts, many female stars have survived cancer with spirit and grace. NLT salutes them.
1. Sheryl Crow, diagnosed at the age of 44
Sheryl Crow
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“I am a walking advertisement for early detection.”
Sheryl Crow, the country rock singer, spoke in 2006 about finding calcifications in her breasts during a regular mammogram. She immediately postponed one of her tours and underwent a surgery. She also went through radiation for seven weeks, enhanced by acupuncture, and also drank different kinds of herbal teas. Sheryl’s engagement to Lance Armstrong, the infamous cyclist, ended around the time she was diagnosed. She missed out on painful chemotherapy procedures because her breast cancer was detected quite early. In 2007, Sheryl, whose family tree shows no trace of breast cancer, petitioned Congress to finance research into possible connections between environmental conditions and breast cancer.
2. Angelina Jolie, diagnosed at the age of 37
Angelina Jolie
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“I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer. It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk, they too, will know that they have strong options.”
Angelina became not just America’s but the world’s sweetheart when she frankly admitted to having a double mastectomy in the New York Times. She said that she undertook the elective surgery because she bears a faulty gene called BRCA1, which took her mom at the early age of 56. She added, “I hope other women can benefit from my experience.”
3. Cynthia Nixon, diagnosed at the age of 40
Cynthia Nixon
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Cynthia Nixon, who we all know as Miranda from Sex and the City, was hesitant to reveal the discovery of a cancerous tumor in her right breast. She did not want this to become public while undergoing treatment. “I didn’t want paparazzi at the hospital, that kind of thing,” she told the New York Daily News once her breast cancer was treated with radiation and a lumpectomy.
4. Kylie Minogue, diagnosed at the age of 36
Kylie Minogue
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Because of a misdiagnosis, Kylie almost lost her chance to defeat breast cancer. It was only when she went for a second round of mammogram tests that the doctors detected a tumor in her left breast. The singer survived her ordeal and pleaded to women to have more faith in their gut feeling. In 2007, she spoke with Ellen DeGeneres, saying, “Just because someone is in a white coat and using big medical instruments doesn’t necessarily mean they’re right.”
5. Christina Applegate, diagnosed at the age of 36
Christina Applegate
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Though the doctors only diagnosed cancer in one breast, Applegate underwent a double mastectomy. After coming out of the “survival mode,” she has made efforts to raise money through charity events for advanced breast cancer research and also founded “Right Action for Women,” an organization that brings women with breast cancer the resources, information, and support that they need to take the right action.
6. Edie Falco, diagnosed at the age of 40
Edie Falco
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The Sopranos star didn’t tell a soul about her struggle against breast cancer. It was only after she underwent surgery in 2004 that she revealed why she had stayed quiet. She said, “It was very important for me to keep my diagnosis under the radar… because well-meaning people would have driven me crazy asking, ‘How are you feeling?’” But she “bucked up, put on her Carmela fingernails, and was ready to work.”
7. Melissa Etheridge, diagnosed at the age of 43
Melissa Etheridge
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“It taught me that I shouldn’t do anything that I don’t love completely.”
I am sure you remember her performing at the Grammys bald after completing her lumpectomy and chemotherapy. Her song “I Run for Life” was also inspired by this period in her life.
8. Diahann Carroll, diagnosed at the age of 63
Diahann Carroll
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The Grey’s Anatomy star went through 36 radiation treatments following her lumpectomy. After this, she started encouraging post-menopausal women to go through the necessary tests. She also released a book The Legs Are the Last to Go: Aging, Acting, Marrying & Other Things I Learned the Hard Way, talking about her experience.
9. Dame Maggie Smith, diagnosed at the age of 73
Dame Maggie Smith
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Professor McGonagall was working on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. She underwent her treatment while filming the motion picture.
10. Jaclyn Smith, diagnosed at the age of 56
Jaclyn Smith
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One of the original Charlie’s Angels, Jaclyn Smith, is among the few celebrities with breast cancer who is helping women who are also battling the disease. She is involved with “Strength in Knowing,” an online support system for breast cancer patients. She also featured in a documentary about breast cancer.
Suggested read: Play Out chooses breast cancer survivors to model their undewear
11. Gloria Steinem, diagnosed at the age of 52
Gloria Steinem
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In spite of the disease, Steinem didn’t let her voice on women’s liberation waiver a bit.
12. Robin Roberts, diagnosed at the age of 46
Robin Roberts
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“I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump,” said the Good Morning America anchor in an online message that she posted on the day of her operation.
13. Giuliana Rancic, diagnosed at the age of 36
Giuliana Rancic
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The E! hostess went through a double mastectomy after she was diagnosed with breast cancer. After reading about Jolie, she says she “smiled and let out a sigh of relief. Relief that more and more women are getting the courage to share their stories for the most selfless of reason of all … to help other women.”
14. Hoda Kotb, diagnosed at the age of 43
Hoda Kotb
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“Cancer gave me the gift of being fearless. What I get from this whole horrible ordeal is ‘you can’t scare me.’”
The co-host of Today is among the bravest celebrities with breast cancer!
15. Judy Blume, diagnosed at the age of 74
Judy Blume
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The young adult author posted a funny essay about her trial saying, “My dense, small breasts aged well. They stayed perky while other body parts sagged. I’d become quite fond of them. Still, the idea of mastectomy wasn’t a difficult emotional decision for me (again, these are very personal reactions and decisions). Maybe because my breasts have never defined my sexuality. Who knows?”
16. Kathy Bates, diagnosed at the age of 64
Kathy Bates
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The Titanic star revealed the news of her mastectomy on Twitter. She wrote, “Hey All, sorry for the long silence. I was diagnosed with breast cancer 2 months ago & am recovering from a double mastectomy. I don’t miss my breasts as much as I miss Harry’s Law.”
17. Nancy Reagan, diagnosed at the age of 66
Nancy Reagan
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It was in 1987 that the former First Lady detected a lump in her left breast. She went through a modified radical mastectomy and is still cancer-free.
18. Sharon Osbourne, diagnosed at the age of 60
Sharon Osbourne
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Known as Ozzy Osbourne’s wife and former America’s Got Talent judge, Sharon Osbourne was diagnosed with breast cancer almost a decade after testing positive for colon cancer. She wasn’t going to take any chances. She told HELLO! “I’ve had cancer before and I didn’t want to live under that cloud: I decided to just take everything off, and had a double mastectomy. I didn’t even think of my breasts in a nostalgic way, I just wanted to be able to live my life without that fear all the time.”
19. Wanda Sykes, diagnosed at the age of 47
Wanda Sykes
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The comedienne disclosed that she had undergone a double mastectomy in 2011 after a lump was found in her left breast. Speaking of her DCIS, Ductal Carcinoma in Situ, she said “I was very, very lucky, because DCIS is basically stage zero cancer.”
20. Linda Ellerbee, diagnosed at the age of 48
Linda Ellerbee
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In 1992, journalist Linda Ellerbee underwent a tissue-removal surgery after her breast cancer was detected. “I knew from the beginning that I would need to wrap my friends and family around me like an old quilt to get through this. I couldn’t walk through this valley alone, nor would I want to, and I discovered in the journey that the more I was able to ask for help and to be open about needing it, the more I got it,” she told Coping.
Suggested read: Mom battling cancer gets her fantasy wedding photo shoot
These celebrities with breast cancer have beaten it successfully and have also selflessly revealed their stories to the world. We must celebrate their victory, but at the same time, learn from them about the necessity of frequent mammograms and self-examinations. If you know other breast cancer survivors and have a story to tell, you can share it in the comments section below. Spread the message; cherish being a woman!
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