Olivia Munn Reveals Breast Cancer Diagnosis
Olivia Munn has opened up about her private health battle. The Predator star revealed on Instagram that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Munn, 43, wrote in her Wednesday (March 13) caption: “I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I hope by sharing this it will help others find comfort, inspiration and support on their own journey.” With a photo of her smiling from a hospital bed wearing glasses, Munn included pages worth of text describing her difficult journey.
Last February, Munn revealed she took an extensive genetic test for 90 different types of cancer, and everything came back negative. With a mammogram and no breast cancer detected, it wasn’t until two months later that Munn received her cancer diagnosis.
“In the past ten months, I’ve had four surgeries,” she wrote. “So many days spent in bed I can’t even count and learned more about cancer, cancer treatment and hormones than I could ever have imagined. Surprisingly, I only cried twice. I guess I felt like there was time to cry. My focus narrowed, and I tabled any emotions that I felt would interfere with my ability to stay clearheaded.”
Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
The actress, who shares 2-year-old son Malcolm with comedian John Mulaney, explained she left the house on days when she had the “energy.” She adds that she kept the “diagnosis and the worry and recovery and the medicine and the paper gowns private.” The actress noted, “I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing.”
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Olivia went on to share that she had a double mastectomy and credited her doctor with saving her life by insisting on calculating Munn’s “Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score.” With a conducted biopsy after that, it was discovered Munn had an aggressive, fast-moving cancer called Luminal B in both breasts. Considering herself lucky to have caught the cancer when her doctor did and the success of the 10-hour surgery, Munn urges others to ask their doctor to calculate their Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score as well.
“I’m so thankful for my friends and family for loving me through this,” she concluded. “I’m so thankful to John for the nights he spent researching what every operation and medication meant and what side effects and recovery I could expect. For being there before I went into each surgery and being there when I woke up, always placing framed photos of little boy Malcolm so it would be the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes.”
Commenting on her post, Mulaney wrote: “Thank you for fighting so hard to be here for us. Malc and I adore you. [red heart emoji]” Niecy Nash commented, “I love you friend. May God continue to bless you with good health and a long happy life. [prayer hands and heart emojis]” Kaley Cuoco said, “Thank you for sharing this! Wow [red heart and praise hand emojis].” Gabrielle Union commented, “Thank you for sharing mama. We gotchu.” While Mindy Kaling said, “I love you. [red heart emoji]”
