At 12 years old, Cynthia Nixon watched her mother survive breast cancer. When the “Sex and the City” star was diagnosed with the disease in 2006 at the age of 40, she became a spokeswoman for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
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Giuliana Rancic announced in October 2011 that she’d been diagnosed with breast cancer after a mammogram she’d gotten prior to an in vitro fertilization treatment. Rancic underwent a double lumpectomy, then a double mastectomy. She’s been cancer-free since 2013 and credits husband Bill Rancic with getting her through it. Rancic now is an avid advocate for raising awareness.
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Maura Tierney was up for the lead role in NBC’s “Parenthood” when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009. Tierney had to pass on the part to undergo chemotherapy, and since her recovery has been vocal about the disease. She told Fox News, “I had wonderful doctors, and I asked them a lot of questions. … Don’t be embarrassed. Ask any question because no question is stupid when it comes to chemotherapy.”
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In July 2007, “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts revealed that she had breast cancer. “I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump,” she wrote in a blog post. Roberts was cancer-free following radiation and chemotherapy treatments, but her ordeal wasn’t over yet: In 2012, Roberts underwent a bone marrow transplant for myelodysplastic syndrome. Roberts chronicled her recovery on “GMA” to raise awareness of cancer and its aftermath.
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In May 2013, Angelina Jolie revealed in the New York Times that she’d undergone a preventative double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery after learning she had a mutation in her BRCA1 gene. The Oscar winner’s mother died of breast cancer in 2007 and her aunt only two weeks after Jolie’s operation was revealed to the public. The Independent reports that since Jolie’s essay, family history clinics saw more than double the number of patients than they had in 2012 — calling it the “Jolie effect.”
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Rob Lowe lost his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to breast cancer, so the cause hits extremely close to home for the actor. In 2000, NBC reports Lowe was the first male spokesperson for the annual Lee National Denim Day, which fundraises to fight breast cancer.
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Melissa Etheridge was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and has since recovered and advocated for awareness and research. The singer composed a song, “I Run for Life,” inspired by her battle, and was featured in “1 a Minute,” a docudrama about the struggles of surviving.
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Wanda Sykes was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, a non-invasive form of breast cancer, in February 2011. That August, the comedian underwent a double mastectomy. She told People, “I just wanted the best odds. I made my decision because I love life.”
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When Dame Maggie Smith was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 at the age of 73, she refused to put her role as Professor McGonagall in “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” on hold. The Huffington Post reports that once Smith underwent surgery to remove her lump, she continued chemotherapy and radiation treatments as she filmed the flick.
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Hoda Kotb had a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007. The “Today” hostess told the Washington Post, “Cancer gave me the gift of being fearless.”
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Cancer didn’t run in author Judy Blume’s family — but she was still diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012. Blume documented her diagnosis, treatment and reconstructive surgery on her blog.
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Eric Stonestreet is an avid breast cancer supporter for a reason close to his heart: E! reports that the “Modern Family” star’s mother is a two-time survivor.
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Minka Kelly lost her mother, Maureen Dumont Kelly, to breast cancer in 2008. Since then, the actress has been vocal in her support of cancer-related causes, even appearing in a 2009 PSA called “The Booby Scare.”
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After ice skater Dorothy Hamill beat cancer in 2006, NBC reports she launched her own jewelry line to benefit awareness and research.
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Suzanne Somers was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001, and since then has been vocal about alternative medicines. The one-time “Three’s Company” star authored “Knockout,” a book denouncing chemotherapy and radiation therapies for alternative and holistic medicines, much to the chagrin of the American Cancer Society. Somers told Everyday Health, “I appreciate health care that gets to the root cause of our symptoms and promotes wellness, rather than the one-size-fits-all drug-based approach to treating disease.”
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Emma Stone’s mother, Krista, was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer in October 2008, a form that’s aggressive and difficult to treat. Krista is now recovered, and Emma regularly participates in breast cancer awareness and research fundraisers, as seen here at a New Jersey benefit in May 2013.
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Journalist and frequent Sunday show panelist Cokie Roberts beat breast cancer in 2002.
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Sheryl Crow battled breast cancer in 2006, but was an advocate for research and awareness of the disease before she was diagnosed. She told the Daily Record that her diagnosis shifted her perspective. “You grow up with this story of what your life will look like — you get married and have kids,” she said. “I held on to that for a long time but once I got diagnosed, someone told me I was limiting the parameters of my life by putting that pressure on myself. … Once I acknowledged that I was not going to get married and have kids in that order, all of a sudden the opportunity came about to adopt Wyatt and then Levi.”
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A misdiagnosis could have cost Aussie singing sensation Kylie Minogue her life. Health.com reports that it wasn’t until Minogue insisted on a second round of tests that they found a lump in her left breast. After a course of chemotherapy, radiation and a partial mastectomy, Minogue is now cancer-free.
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Betsey Johnson revealed to the Huffington Post that she was diagnosed with breast cancer the day of her huge annual company Christmas party in 1999. She initially kept her cancer a secret. Six months of radiation and chemotherapy later, Johnson came out cancer-free. The quirky designer now encourages women to get regular screenings and to be aware of signs of the disease in hopes of early detection. She also releases a new product each year to fundraise for the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund.
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Edie Falco kept her breast cancer a secret from almost everyone on the set of “The Sopranos” in 2003. The actress quietly underwent treatment and returned with a shorter ‘do in 2004. When asked about why she kept mum on her condition, Falco told Health magazine, “It was very important for me to keep my diagnosis under the radar … because well-meaning people would have driven me crazy asking, ‘How are you feeling?'”
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Kathy Bates told AARP magazine, “Breast cancer runs like a river through my family.” As a result, Bates pulled no punches when it came to her health in 2012. “I had ovarian cancer in 2003,” she said. “When I went in for a scan last year they found a tumor in my left breast. I wasn’t going to fool around; I had a double mastectomy.”
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Carly Simon fought breast cancer in 1997, undergoing surgery and chemotherapy “to play it safe.” The crooner told the National Enquirer she didn’t lose her hair in treatment: “I bought a lot of wigs, but I haven’t had to wear any of them.”
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Feminist icon Gloria Steinem battled breast cancer in 1987.
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“Charlie’s Angels” star Jaclyn Smith underwent a lumpectomy and radiation therapy for breast cancer in 2003.
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Diahann Carroll initially wanted to keep her breast cancer diagnosis a secret in 1997, the Huffington Post reports. However, she changed her mind and became an activist, inviting Connie Chung into her treatment room while she underwent radiation.
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Taylor Swift has performed at events supporting breast cancer awareness and research, including An Unforgettable Evening for the Women’s Cancer Research Fund.
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Olivia Newton-John was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. After a hiatus to recover, the “Grease” star has become an advocate and public speaker for breast cancer awareness and the importance of getting “Physical,” especially in her native Australia.
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After Elizabeth Hurley’s grandmother died of breast cancer, the British beauty became one of the most vocal celebrity advocates for breast cancer awareness. Hurley partners with Estee Lauder’s Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign.
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Christina Applegate, seen here with mother Nancy Priddy, got a double mastectomy at age 36 after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. Since then, the star has been an outspoken advocate for breast cancer research and awareness, often working with Revlon’s Run/Walk programs.
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Singer Anastacia was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2003 when she got a mammogram before a breast reduction surgery. She immediately began surgical and radiation treatments and was given the all-clear a few months later. She began the Anastacia Fund to promote breast cancer awareness to young women. In 2013, the Daily Mail reports Anastacia underwent a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time. She’s fully recovered.
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Vintage sex symbol Brigitte Bardot initially refused breast cancer treatment when she was first diagnosed with the disease in 1983, believing it was her fate to die. The Los Angeles Times reports that it was the French siren’s friend Mariana Vlady who convinced her to undergo treatment and speak publicly about her battle.
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Us Weekly reports Lea Michele was recently named the spokeswoman for Evian and the National Breast Cancer Foundation’s #FasterThan campaign. The campaign promotes self-exams; Michele says self-exams are faster than her vocal warmups.
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Kate Moss frequently models breast cancer awareness and research-supporting garments, like the Stella McCartney bra at left. A percentage of the profits from the pink line will be donated to the Linda McCartney Centre in Liverpool in honor of Stella’s beloved mom, who died of the disease in 1998, the Daily Mail reports.
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“Good Morning America” anchor Amy Robach was diagnosed with breast cancer after reluctantly having a mammogram in Times Square for the show. ABC notes that Robach then worked throughout her chemotherapy, only taking off when she underwent reconstructive surgery.
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Kerry Washington told E! that she’s an advocate for various cancer-related causes for a good reason. Before the 2014 Stand Up 2 Cancer benefit, Washington revealed, “My mom’s a breast cancer survivor, so it has personal meaning.”
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Comedian Tig Notaro revealed onstage in Los Angeles at the Largo that she had cancer. Splitsider reports Notaro opened her August 2012 set with, “Thank you, thank you, I have cancer, thank you, I have cancer, really, thank you.”
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