Celebrities who battled breast cancer could save lives of those at risk

October 15, 8:49 AMBaltimore Celebrity Headlines ExaminerCheryl Taragin

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the Baltimore Celebrity Headlines Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Breast cancer is no laughing matter. When detected early enough, there is a high rate of recovery. However, many at-risk women skip annual mammograms and fail to conduct monthly self-examinations, thereby increasing their odds of discovering the disease at a more difficult stage.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To pay tribute to those who have fought this insidious yet treatable disease, go get an annual check-up and be vigilant about self-exams. Urge those you love to do likewise. The life you may save may be your own.

Jack Black + Funding Women's Cancer Research

SocialVibe|MySpace Videos

The following courageous celebrities have battled breast cancer and lived to tell about it. Others have not been as fortunate. 

Christina Applegate arrives at the "Rock a Little, Feed a Lot" benefit concert for Feeding America and the Los Angeles Regional Foodbank in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

Christina Applegate – She tested positive for the BRCA gene (the one likely to cause the disease) after undergoing a lumpectomy in 2008, then opted for a double-mastectomy rather than radiation or chemotherapy. A large sector of the Hollywood glitterati rallied around the ailing actress, giving Applegate renewed hope for the future. Applegate is back on the job, making a new movie with Drew Barrymore and Justin Long. She also created her own non-profit, Right Action for Women, which assists women at high-risk for breast cancer who can’t afford screenings.

Shirley Temple Black – One of the first youngsters to receive an honorary Oscar was also the first Hollywood actress to go public with news of her breast cancer. In 1999, Black appeared on the cover of “People” announcing her diagnosis. A retired ambassador under two U.S. Presidents, Black is now 80-years old and living in the San Francisco suburb of Woodside. She continues to engender love and adoration from her many fans.

Dusty Springfield – sometimes called the “Queen of Pop,” Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O’Brien grew up a tomboy and adopted the nickname “Dusty” as a young girl. Her last name came from her singing trio “The Springfields,” which she formed with brother Dion O’Brien and friend Reshad Field (later replaced by Mike Hurst). Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1994, Springfield began a course of radiation therapy and went into remission, only to learn in the summer or 1996 that the cancer had returned. Springfield was about to receive an award of the Order of the British Empire when she succumbed to the disease at the untimely age of 59. Presiding over her posthumous Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Sir Elton John poignantly remarked, "I think she is the greatest white singer that there has ever been."

Recording artist Melissa Etheridge arrives at VH1 Divas concert on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009 in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)

Melissa Etheridge – In October 1994, the Grammy Award winning singer-songwriter elected to have a lumpectomy and undergo chemotherapy to treat a rather large tumor discovered during a self-exam. As a result of treatment, she lost all of her hair. Although bald, Etheridge took the stage at the 2005 Grammy Awards to pay tribute to singer Janis Ian. She also famously admitted using medical marijuana to curb nausea. Now in remission, Etheridge is a member of the Board of Directors of the Noreen Fraser Foundation, a non-profit using translational research to develop new cancer prevention methods.

Maura Tierney – Noted for her long-running role as Abby Lockhart on TV hospital drama “ER,” Tierney discovered her cancer during a routine self-examination in July 2009. The 44-year old promptly withdrew from the new NBC series “Parenthood,” and issued the following statement: "I'm very optimistic as to the outcome and want to thank everyone who has sent positive thoughts and support. I look forward to going back to work soon." The network recently announced that “Gilmore Girls” Lauren Graham will fill Tierney’s role on the show.

Nancy Reagan – The former First Lady of both the United States and the State of California is a long-term breast cancer survivor. In 1987, a mammogram detected cancer in her left breast. Reagan passed on having a lumpectomy, opting instead to remove the entire breast. Despite the loss of her beloved husband, President Ronald Reagan, Nancy continues to maintain a fairly active social calendar and recently attended a White House luncheon with President and First Lady Obama.

Actress Cynthia Nixon speaks at the National Equality March in Washington, on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009. Thousands of gay rights supporters marched Sunday from the White House to the Capitol, demanding that President Barack Obama keep his promises to allow gays to serve openly in the military and work to end discrimination against gays. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Cynthia Nixon – She started getting mammograms at age 35 due to a family history of breast cancer. That decision likely saved her life. Thankfully, Nixon’s cancer was detected early enough for the “Sex and the City” star to make a complete recovery. Now cancer-free, she serves as an ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting breast cancer awareness and finding a cure.

Linda McCartney – wife of Beatle Paul McCartney and mother of his first four children (the eldest he adopted from her prior marriage), McCartney was a star in her own right and heiress to the Lindner Department Store fortune. She was also a member of the band “Wings” and an accomplished photographer. Diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995, the disease soon metastasized to her liver. McCartney, a life-long animal rights activist, couldn’t bear the thought of using cancer drugs that had been tested on animals. Nonetheless, doctors persisted, saying no animals were harmed by drugs administered during her treatment. Ultimately, however, McCartney died at the untimely age of 56. She was cremated and her ashes scattered at the Sussex farm she shared with Paul.