Health

Celebrity Faces of Breast Cancer

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Reuters / Fred Prouser
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In August, actress Christina Applegate, 36, announced she had a double mastectomy and will undergo reconstructive surgery. The "Samantha Who?" actress elected to remove both breasts even though the disease was contained in one breast. She said she is now cancer-free. Applegate called the operation a logical decision. Her mother battled breast cancer, and she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer.
Best known for her role as Miranda Hobbs on "Sex and the City," Cynthia Nixon was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006. She had a lumpectomy, followed by six and a half weeks of radiation. Nixon she kept the cancer a secret until this year. Her mother Ann battled the disease twice, said Nixon, who has two children.
Diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29 in January 2003, singer/songwriter Anastacia has since developed the Anastacia Fund through the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
In 2005, Australian singer Kylie Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 37. She is in remission after surgery and chemotherapy and is writing about her experience in a yet-to-be published book.
Singer Sheryl Crow, 46, was diagnosed with the disease in February 2006, shortly after her break-up with cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. She has since adopted a son named Wyatt and moved to Nashville.
Singer Melissa Etheridge, 41, performed bald at the 2005 Grammy Awards after a rigourous course of chemotherapy.
Fashion designer Betsey Johnson, 66, continues to be a breast cancer advocate after she survived the disease. In 2003, the Council of Fashion Designers of America asked her to be an honorary chairperson for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer initiative, according to her Web site. In 2004, she teamed up with author Geralyn Lucas ("Why I Wore Lipstick To My Mastectomy")to design an accompanying t-shirt, which was launched in Betsey Johnson stores nationwide at a series of events called "Courage Nights."
Edie Falco, 45, most notable for her role as Carmella Soprano on HBO's "The Sopranos," had breast cancer in 2003. She underwent chemotherapy and continued filming the series.
"Grease" star Olivia Newton-John, 60, seen above with her daughter Chloe, was diagnosed with breast cancer on July 2, 1992. She underwent surgery and chemotherapy, and recuperated in her native Australia.
Singer Carly Simon, 63, famous for the song "You're So Vain," had a mastectomy in 1997.
In 1989, the stars of "Charlie's Angels" - Farrah Fawcett, Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith -came together to support Jackson, now 60, who had been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time. (The first time was in 1987). She had a partial mastectomy and radiation. In 2002, Smith, also 60, was diagnosed with the disease, but her husband, a physician, recommended she have a lumpectomy and radiation.
In 2001, Suzanne Somers, 62, decided to try alternative treatments versus traditional medicine to beat breast cancer, sparking much media attention. Today, she is healthy and cancer-free.
Robin Roberts, 48, cohost of "Good Morning America" revealed she had the disease in 2007. She returned to the morning talk show one month after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy.
Rue McClanahan, 74, played the carefree Blanche Devereaux on "The Golden Girls," but in real life she battled breast cancer in 1997.
Former Supreme Court Judge Sandra Day O'Connor, 78, missed only two weeks of work when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1988.
Former First Lady Nancy Regan, 87, was diagnosed in 1987 after a routine mammogram. The Nancy Reagan Breast Center is named after her.
Child star and ambassador Shirley Temple Black, 80, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1972 and had a mastectomy. She was one of the first people of international fame to publicly talk about the disease and her surgery.
Actress Lynn Redgrave, 65, and her daughter Annabel Clark wrote about Redgrave's 2002 diagnosis in the book "Journal: A Mother and Daughter�s Recovery From Breast Cancer."
Shortly before she began filming "L.A. Law" in 1986, actress Jill Eikenberry, 61, discovered she had breast cancer. Gripped by fear, she only told her husband and the show's producer Stephen Bochco, who scheduled filming around her treatment. But that all changed in 1989 when Eikenberry co-produced and hosted a NBC documentary, "Destined to Live," which featured interviews with cancer survivors, including former First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Former First Lady Betty Ford, 90, had radical surgery for breast cancer in 1974, and she publicly discussed it, reassuring many women in that time. "Maybe if I as First Lady could talk about it candidly and without embarrassment, many other people would be able to as well," she said.
Actor Richard Roundtree, 66, of "Shaft" fame proves males can get breast cancer too. He was diagnosed wtih the disease in 1993 and underwent chemotherapy, radiation and a mastectomy.
In 1988, Ann Jillian, 58, won a Golden Globe for her performance in the made-for-TV movie "The Ann Jillian Story," which detailed the singer/actress' struggle and triumph over breast cancer. In 1992, she gave birth to a son named Andrew Joseph. Today, she continues to promote breast cancer awareness.
Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former presidential candidate John Edwards, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. It has since spread to her bones, but the 57-year-old said she remains optimistic about her prognosis for the sake of her three children.
Feminist, political activist and founder of "Ms." Magazine, Gloria Steinem, 74, had breast cancer in 1986.
In 2002, Cokie Roberts, former host of ABC's "This Week," was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 58. She underwent a lumpectomy, which she followed by chemotherapy.
Diahann Carroll, 73, who won a Tony award for her performance in the musical "Claudine," certainly wasn't expecting her breast cancer diagnosis in 1998, but a positive attitude helped her beat the disease. She now advocates for early detection. Last year, Carroll made guest appearances on the medical drama "Grey's Anatomy."