Munn said she kept her diagnosis and recovery a secret because she “had to catch my breath and go through some of the hardest parts before sharing.”
Olivia Munn was diagnosed with breast cancer.
On Wednesday, X-Men: Apocalypse The 43-year-old actress posted a series of photos on Instagram from last year when she was being treated at the hospital after learning of the diagnosis.
“In February 2023, in an effort to be proactive about my health, I took a genetic test that checks if you have 90 different cancer genes,” she began. “I tested negative for everything, including BRCA (the most famous gene for breast cancer). My sister Sara was also negative. We called each other and high-fived each other over the phone. In the same winter, I also had a normal mammogram.”
“Two months later I was diagnosed with breast cancer,” she continued. “In the past ten months, I’ve had four surgeries, spent so many days in bed I can’t even count, and learned more about cancer, cancer treatment, and hormones than I ever could have imagined.”
“Surprisingly, I only cried twice. I guess I didn’t have time to cry. My focus narrowed and I brought out whatever emotions I felt would interfere with my ability to stay clear-headed,” added Munn.
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Olivia Munn announces breast cancer diagnosis.
Olivia Munn/Instagram
Stars who faced breast cancer and shared their stories
Munn said she kept the diagnosis and recovery a secret until now because she “had to catch my breath and go through some of the hardest parts before sharing.”
The actress admitted that she would not have discovered her cancer if it were not for her “guardian angel” gynecology and obstetrics Dr. Thais Aliabadi, who is known for working with stars such as Rihanna and Khloé Kardashian.
She said Aliabadi decided to calculate her breast cancer risk assessment score. “The fact that it did saved my life,” Munn said.
“Dr. Aliabadi looked at factors like my age, family history of breast cancer and the fact that I had my first child after 30. She discovered that my lifetime risk was 37%. Because of this result, I was sent for an MRI, which led to an ultrasound and then a biopsy. The biopsy showed that I had Luminal B cancer in both breasts. Luminal B is an aggressive, fast-moving cancer.”
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Olivia Munn announces breast cancer diagnosis.
Olivia Munn/Instagram
Munn said she had a double mastectomy 30 days after the biopsy.
“I went from feeling completely fine one day to waking up in a hospital bed the next day after a 10-hour operation,” she wrote. “I’m lucky. We caught him with enough time that I had options. I wish the same for every woman who will have to face this one day.”
Munn urged others to be proactive about their health and ask their doctors to calculate their breast cancer risk score and to get annual mammograms and breast MRIs starting at age 30 if the number is greater than 20%.
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Olivia Munn announces breast cancer diagnosis.
Olivia Munn/Instagram
The woman said she was too young for a mammogram — 8 months later she was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer
News the actress added that she was “grateful” to the staff at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and Saint John’s in Santa Monica for their help during her treatment. She ended the post by praising her loved ones for supporting her in her difficult health battle.
“I am so grateful to my friends and family for loving me through this. I am so grateful [John Mulaney] for the nights he spent researching what each surgery and medication meant and what side effects and recovery to expect,” she wrote. “Because I was there before I went into every operation and was there when I woke up, always putting framed photos of our little boy Malcolm so that would be the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.”
“Thank you to the friends who have had breast cancer and the friends who have connected me with friends who have had breast cancer for guiding me through some of my most uncertain and difficult times,” added Munn.
Mulaney, 41, wrote in a comment on her post, “Thank you for fighting so hard to be here for us,” adding of their 2-year-old son, “Malc and I adore you. ❤️”
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Source: HIS Education