Last week, Olivia Munn shared on Instagram that she’d undergone a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. HOLR breaks down the details.
Olivia Munn Signs of Breast Cancer
On Thursday, actress Olivia Munn, 43, posted on Instagram that she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer and undergone a double mastectomy. In the post, the actress and former TV host said she hopes “sharing this will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey,”
Munn’s post detailed how she and her doctor discovered and responded to the revelation. In February of last year, she took a genetic test to screen for several different types of cancer genes, including BRCA. Along with her sister, who also took the test, the actress “tested negative for all,” Despite this test, and having a normal mammogram over the winter, Munn was diagnosed with breast cancer just two months later.
Olivia revealed that her doctor calculated her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment, also known as the Gail Model, at 37%. After an MRI and biopsy, the actress was ultimately diagnosed with Luminal B breast cancer in both of her breasts.
Olivia Munn John Mulaney Cancer
Munn shared that she “needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing,” and thanked her doctors at Cedars-Sinai and Saint John’s hospitals in LA and Santa Monica, respectively, breast cancer survivors, and friends and family.
Munn also thanked her partner, comedian John Mulaney, for “researching what every operation and medication meant” at night and the “side effects and recovery I could expect,” Mulaney also put “framed photos of our little boy Malcolm” next to her hospital bed when she woke up from surgery.
Breast Cancer Symptoms Risk Assessment Tool
According to Cancer Research UK, when abnormal cells in the breast begin to grow and divide uncontrollably, they eventually form a tumor that becomes breast cancer. While it is unknown what causes breast cancer, risk factors can include family history, beginning menstruation before age 12, menopause, dense breast tissue, and having a child after age 30.
According to the National Cancer Institute, when mutated, the BRCA1 and 2 genes lead to the risk of developing different types of cancer. The most common are breast and ovarian cancer. However, doctors warn that the test Munn received and encouraged others to ask their doctors about, shouldn’t be used alone.
“You don’t want people to just look at these numbers and get unduly frightened,” Dr. Steven Woloshin, professor at Dartmouth University told the New York Times.
The Gail Model, along with another tool called the IBIS calculator, only calculates breast cancer in women—although rare, men can also be diagnosed with breast cancer. The tools may provide inaccurate results for different racial groups such as Alaska Native, Black, and Hispanic women.
What do you think of Olivia Munn’s decision to share her breast cancer journey?
Published by HOLR Magazine.
Image Credit: @oliviamunn Instagram @oliviamunn Instagram