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11 Celebrities Who Got Extremely Candid About What Happened After They Heard The Words "You Have Breast Cancer" "And then the reality hit me that I have cancer — this is my story." According to the American Cancer Society, about one in eight American women will get breast cancer at some point in their lives, and there are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the US. As a young breast cancer survivor myself, I think the best awareness comes from survivors sharing our stories. I also really appreciate it when celebs share how this disease impacted them, because it really helps to get the word out and shows that cancer doesn't discriminate. So, in honor of breast cancer awareness month, here are 11 famous people who've spoken up about their experiences with breast cancer: 1. In 2024, Boy Meets World star Danielle Fishel revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer at 43. Sharing the news on her podcast, Pod Meets World, she said, "I was recently diagnosed with DCIS, which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ, which is a form of breast cancer. It is very, very, very early. It’s technically stage zero." Danielle credits a screening mammogram with detecting her cancer at this early stage. "The only reason I caught this cancer when it is still stage zero is because the day I got my text message that my yearly mammogram had come up, I made the appointment." Later that year, she opened up to People about how the diagnosis changed her life. "Even for cancer that was found at stage 0, my whole life has changed," Danielle said. She went on to say, "My life has become many doctors' appointments and constantly checking up. And it'll be monitoring side effects. It's not fun, but it is what it is. And with all that said, I'm very fortunate and I'm going to live, which is the most important thing." Danielle has recently returned to the small screen to take part in the current season of Dancing With the Stars, and she's shared how her cancer journey inspired her to try something new. She told People, "The minute I was done with my cancer treatment, I thought to myself, 'If this has shown me anything, it has shown me that I am not experiencing enough joy in my life.'" 2. In 2024, actor Jenna Fischer, best known for her work in The Office, shared that she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer. On Instagram, she wrote, "Back in October 2023, I posted a photo of myself on Instagram preparing for my routine mammogram with a joking reminder to ‘take care of your ticking time bags’ a la Michael Scott." To treat her cancer, Jenna shared that she had 12 rounds of chemotherapy, completed three weeks of radiation treatments, and had a lumpectomy. She wrote that while she continues to receive infusions and take a daily medication, "I'm happy to say I'm feeling great." On Today Show, Jenna shared how her Office Ladies co-star Angela Kinsey supported her through her diagnosis and treatment. "From the beginning, she said, 'Whatever you need, you tell me, I'm here.' I said, 'I want to keep working and I don't want anyone to know at work. At work, I want that to be a space where we go and we laugh and I'm not a cancer patient. I need that,'" Jenna said. 3. Olivia Munn was diagnosed with luminal B breast cancer in 2023 at 43 years old. She shared her diagnosis in an Instagram post a year later, writing, "In the past 10 months I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can't even count, and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment, and hormones than I ever could have imagined. Surprisingly, I've only cried twice. I guess I haven't felt like there was time to cry." She revealed that she was diagnosed two months after a "normal mammogram" when her OB-GYN did a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment that prompted further screening. After an MRI and biopsy confirmed her diagnosis, Olivia had a double mastectomy and began taking estrogen-suppressing medications that put her into menopause to prevent her cancer from coming back. In keeping with her candor about the realities of life after breast cancer treatment, last fall Olivia showed her mastectomy scars in a Skims campaign. On Instagram, she wrote, "In the middle of this latest @SKIMS campaign shoot, I decided I was done being insecure about my mastectomy scars." 4. Julia Louis-Dreyfuss shared that she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2017, the morning after winning an Emmy for her performance in the sixth season of Veep. She later told the Wall Street Journal that when she first got the news, all she could do was laugh. "I mean, it felt like it was written. It felt like it was a horrible black comedy,” she said. “And then it sort of morphed into crying hysterically." She later told USA Today that the experience inspired her to advocate for universal healthcare in the US. Julia said, "I will say that as bone-chillingly terrifying as it is to get this news that you have cancer – I mean, just even saying that is so scary – but when I consider if somebody gets that news and they don't have the means to cover their healthcare, what the hell is that? That is scarier." And in 2024, Julia spoke about how cancer has shifted her perspective on Today Show, saying, "When you’re younger, there’s kind of this arrogance of youth." 5. In recent years, Christina Applegate has been incredibly open about how being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis has affected her, but years before that, she opened up to the world about her experience with breast cancer. Christina was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2008 at 36 years old. Christina went on to get a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of breast cancer recurrence, followed by reconstructive surgery. Later that year, she appeared on Good Morning America and joked, "I'm going to have the best boobs in the nursing home." Christina also started a foundation to help low-income women get access to screening MRIs. She told Elle, "Every single dollar goes into paying for these MRIs which can be upwards of $2,000 for some of these women." But more recently, in 2024, Christina opened up on the Armchair Expert podcast about wishing she had been more candid back then. "I was the good girl talking about 'Oh, I love my new boobs' that are all scarred and f---ed up. What was I thinking?" she said. 6. Don't let the pink ribbon fool you — men can get breast cancer too. Peter Criss, the original drummer for the band KISS, shared that he was diagnosed with breast cancer after noticing a lump near his nipple in 2007. He told CBS News, "It's something we think guys don't get. Guys get prostate cancer, heart attacks. Men are men - women get breast cancer. Or so I thought." Peter had surgery to treat his breast cancer and told CNN that it was caught at an early enough stage that he didn't need chemotherapy or reconstruction. He said that his surgery left no scar, so his doctor told him he could still take his shirt off to play the drums. "I'm in my 60s. Those days are over," he quipped. Peter also opened up about his mammogram experience, saying, "It's amazing how they can get a guy's little pecs in that thing that the poor women go through. They are so medieval! I have a whole new respect for women going through mammograms." 7. In 2011, comedian Wanda Sykes had a breast reduction surgery that ended up revealing she had stage 0 breast cancer. On The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she said, "My back was sore, so it was time to have a reduction." After learning that she had cancer, Wanda says she decided to get a double mastectomy, partly due to her family history of breast cancer. She explained her choice, saying, "It sounds scary up front, but what do you want? Do you want to wait and not be as fortunate when it comes back and it’s too late?" But over a decade later, Wanda is still speaking out. Earlier this year, she appeared in a Super Bowl ad for Novartis promoting breast cancer awareness. Before the spot ran, she told People, "It will be fun to see the impact. I'm waiting to walk down the streets in New York and someone's like, 'Hey, Wanda. How's your boobs?' I wouldn't be surprised if that happened." 8. Shannen Doherty was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. To treat her cancer, she went through chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and had a double mastectomy. While going through treatment, Shannen filed a lawsuit against her former accounting firm, claiming that they missed making payments which caused her health insurance to lapse and delayed her diagnosis. The lawsuit was settled privately in 2016. In 2017, Shannen announced that her cancer was in remission, but in 2019, she learned that it had come back, and she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer, also known as metastatic breast cancer. She learned that although a stage 4 diagnosis is not the death sentence that it once was, she would be in treatment for the rest of her life. Over the years, she continued to speak out about what it's like to live with stage 4 breast cancer. In a 2023 interview with People, Shannen said, "People just assume that it means you can’t walk, you can’t eat, you can’t work. They put you out to pasture at a very early age —‘You’re done, you’re retired,’ and we’re not. We’re vibrant, and we have such a different outlook on life. We are people who want to work and embrace life and keep moving forward.” 9. Actor and comedian Tig Notaro was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in 2012, and later that day, she did a loose and vulnerable stand-up set about it that became a viral sensation. Tig walked out on stage and started the show by saying, "Good evening, hello. I have cancer. How are you?" Tig told NPR that she did the show in part because, "It just made me laugh so hard just in the shower." Later on, after choosing to forgo reconstructive surgery and remain flat after a double mastectomy, Tig did another set topless with her scars exposed. She explained, "After I had a double mastectomy, the comedian in me kept hearing a voice in my head, ‘You should do a show topless, you should do a show topless.’ And I was like, ‘I can’t do a show topless!’" Tig also shared her breast cancer journey in the Netflix documentary Tig, which came out in 2015. The documentary includes Tig considering going through hormone treatment for IVF to be able to have a child after cancer. She did end up going through with IVF, but she wasn't able to become pregnant. She now has twin boys who were carried via a surrogate. 10. Twenty years ago, "Padam Padam" singer Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. She later told People, "It's like the earth had kind of slipped off its axis. You see everything differently." To treat her cancer, Kylie had chemotherapy and a lumpectomy. She later told the BBC that she kept every encouraging fan letter that she received during that time. "I just felt there was a trail of love and support. It really made such a difference to me." 11. Today co-anchor Hoda Kotb was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 at 43, after getting her very first mammogram. She reflected on finally making that appointment, saying, "I ask people all the time why they haven’t gotten checked for various things, and here I was not getting screened." In 2012, to celebrate the milestone of being five years cancer-free and encourage people to get screened for breast cancer, Hoda invited her OB-GYN and the surgeon who performed her mastectomy to join her for a segment on Today. She shared clips from her video diary leading up to her mastectomy, and shared that she'd never thought she would get cancer because of her healthy lifestyle. "It's not going to be me," she said, "It's going to be somebody else, but it's not going to be me." Almost 20 years later, Hoda is still cancer-free. She told People earlier this year that though cancer has changed her, she won't let it define her. "It can shape you, but if it defines you, then you will spend your life feeling a certain way. So it's like understanding this is part of me, but not all of me. It's going to change me and I'll be different now." Can you relate to these stories? Tell us what you think in the comments.
