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Tag: Breast Cancer

  • Colon Cancer And Breast Cancer Still Have Racial Disparities

    Colon cancer and breast cancer are the two most common cancer killers.

    Colon cancer or breast cancer are not words that anyone wants to hear from their doctor, although the overall numbers for cancer deaths have dropped.

    However, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society, there is still a surprising racial difference in the number of deaths and survivors.

    Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, confirmed this, saying, “There’s been a dramatic decline in mortality for cancer for all groups. The decline is steeper for blacks than whites, but there is still a black-white disparity.”

    A great example of this is the mortality rate for breast cancer, which has also drastically declined overall, but much more in white females. The gap in mortality rates has significantly widened.

    In fact, those numbers have dropped 23 percent in black women, but a whopping 37 percent in white women since 1990.

    Brawley said of the trend, “Breast cancer in women is the most fascinating pattern because you have dramatic declines for blacks and whites, however the black-white disparity is greater today than it was in 2000, and it was greater in 2000 than it was in 1990, and it did not exist in 1980.”

    Colon cancer mortality disparities among white and black men also continue to widen. From 2003 to 2012, the death rate from colon cancer declined more slowly in black men. In fact, in black men it declined 2.5 percent. In white me, it was 3 percent.

    The death rate remains 50 percent higher in blacks than in whites since 2005.

    So just what is going on here?

    Dr. Roshan Bastani, director of Cancer Disparities Research at the UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, said, “It’s a combination perhaps of some genetics, risk factors such as nutrition and physical activity, and also less access to state-of-the-art early detection and treatment (for blacks).”

    Speaking of early detection, those who are 50 years and older who have no symptoms and who are not at a high risk for colon cancer could be in for a change. Based on the latest research The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health now recommends forgoing a colonoscopy for a simple fecal test for microscopic blood instead.

    Reportedly, research showed that a colonoscopy was not any more effective at detecting early colon cancer than stool tests.

    It remains to be seen if this new recommendation will be taken to heart in the U.S.

    What do you think about the racial disparities in colon cancer and breast cancer mortality rates?

  • Shannen Doherty Talks Breast Cancer Struggle With Dr. Oz

    Shannen Doherty, star of the original 90210, talked with Dr. Mehmet Oz earlier this week about what she has endured since she was diagnosed with breast cancer in March of 2015. Dr. Oz reiterated her struggles during an interview with Entertainment Tonight, adding that Shannen Doherty is now trying to decide whether she should undergo a lumpectomy or a mastectomy.

    “Shannen is juggling those two decisions–neither one is perfect but both are acceptable, as long as the cancer comes out,” Dr. Oz said. “The part of Shannen’s story that’s most stunning to me is that she’s had that cancer in her breast for over a year and hasn’t had it taken out yet – [the] cancer’s still in there.”

    “She has decided to have the breast cancer to removed surgically, and that is a big decision for a woman… It was really up to Shannen to decide she was ready to go through an operation she feared would be disfiguring,” he added. “Shannen was very transparent about what’s going on in her breast–she has cancer on one side, it’s a big tumor–it has spread to the lymph nodes on that side, but we don’t have any evidence that it’s gone any further than that.”

    Dr. Oz expects Shannen Doherty will make a full recovery.

    “Thankfully, if we aggressively can treat it, we can save Shannen’s life, and her doctors are superb and they’re all over that decision,” he said.

    On The Dr. Oz Show Thursday, Shannen Doherty said of her difficult decision, “Ultimately, they’re just breasts, right? I mean, I love them, they’re mine, they’re beautiful, but in the grand scheme of things, I would rather be alive, and I would rather grow old with my husband.”

    Dr. Oz has fears that Doherty waited too long after discovering the lump before seeking medical treatment. He understands why she did, however.

    “She had to come to grips with the fear–sometimes that fear has paralyzed her over the past year,” he said. “That’s why a bright woman has sat with a cancer in her breast for that long. We run from the things we fear–I think she’s embracing it now.”

    It will be interesting to learn whether Shannen Doherty opts to have a mastectomy or a lumpectomy. Hopefully the 90210 alum makes a full and speedy recovery regardless of her choice,

  • Jill Conley, Activist And Breast Cancer Sufferer, Dies At 38

    Jill Conley, a breast cancer sufferer who began a non-profit in her final years to help other breast cancer patients and their families, died Tuesday morning.

    Jill Conley died quietly with her husband and mother at her side.

    Becoming a household name after her appearance on Today with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, who is a cancer survivor, Jill Conley was fondly remembered by the two hosts after her death.

    After news of Jill Conley’s death spread, Hoda Kotb posted a sweet tribute to her on Twitter.

    Hota Kotb was so inspired by Jill Conley that she chose to highlight her during their #InspiredBy series back in 2013.

    After the segment starring Jill Conley, Hoda told about meeting her at a breast cancer benefit event.

    She said, “You know she’s ill, and you know her time is limited, but somehow you want nothing more than to be like her.”

    She added, “It’s so funny. When I look at Jill, all I see is the light from her eyes. And I wanted to be in her aura, in her circle.”

    Kathie Lee Gifford added her own spin, saying, “She’s totally alive. And how many of us who go through our days, every day, could say the same?”

    Good question.

    Jill Conley’s foundation, Jill’s Wish, also posted tribute to their founder.

    What do you think of Jill Conley’s brave life lived to the fullest, even with cancer?

  • Jill Conley, Jill’s Wish Cancer Support Founder, Dies Of Breast Cancer

    Jill Conley, brave cancer warrior, died this morning at the age of 38.

    Jill Conley gained recognition when she appeared on Today with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, who is a breast cancer survivor.

    During her years-long battle with cancer, Jill Conley started Jill’s Wish. Jill’s Wish is a non-profit foundation for cancer sufferers which awards grants to those who need money for their recovery and to take care of their families.

    Jill Conley passed away quietly with her husband, Bart Brzezinski, and her mother, Rosemary Duchon, by her side.

    After the news of Jill Conley’s death was made known, Hoda Kotb posted a heartfelt and sorrowful tweet.

    Hoda Kotb first met Jill Conley in 2013 at a Cayman Islands gala to raise money for breast cancer programs and research.

    Hoda, during the Today #InspiredBy series, said of her first meeting with Jill Conley, “You know she’s ill, and you know her time is limited, but somehow you want nothing more than to be like her.”

    She added, “It’s so funny. When I look at Jill, all I see is the light from her eyes. And I wanted to be in her aura, in her circle.”

    Kathie Lee Gifford offered her own compliments about Jill Conley.

    She said, “She’s totally alive. And how many of us who go through our days, every day, could say the same?”

    What do you think about the extraordinary life with cancer that Jill Conley led?

  • Khloe Kardashian Dismisses Kris Jenner’s Insistence of BRCA Gene Test

    Khloe Kardashian and “momager” Kris Jenner have an argument in a clip previewing Sunday’s upcoming episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians. This one, however, isn’t over a trivial matter.

    Jenner is insisting Khloe Kardashian get the BRCA gene test, which checks for cell mutations and tells if patients are likely to get breast or ovarian cancer.

    “I feel like you should really get on our bandwagon and try and get this DNA test done,” Kris tells Khloe, who simply isn’t having it.

    “I don’t want to, is the point,” Khloe says. “I don’t really care.”

    “It’s unacceptable for you to have this technology at your fingertips, and not go out and utilize that,” Kris tells her. “It might save your life one day.”

    Perhaps Khloe Kardashian had too much of a taste of death while caring for estranged husband Lamar Odom. She remained by his side for nearly a month straight, even forgoing showering for an entire week when he was first hospitalized for his near-fatal overdose in that Nevada brothel.

    “I don’t care,” Khloe insists. “Fact: I’m going to die. You’re going to die. We’re all going to die.”

    “Do you want to die when you’re 30?” Kris Jenner asks her middle daughter. “Or do you want to die when you’re 85.”

    “I don’t care,” Khloe says one last time.

    What’s your take on the BRCA gene test? Would you get tested if you could afford to do so? Not all insurance companies will pay for the test, but of course money is no object in the Keeping Up With the Kardashians family.

    Why do you suppose Khloe Kardashian is so adamantly opposed to having the BRCA gene test? Might she be afraid of the results?

    Fans can tune in to Keeping Up With the Kardashians on Sunday night at 9 p.m. on the E! network, and see if Kris Jenner makes any headway in this discussion with Khloe Kardashian.

  • Shannen Doherty Graces Red Carpet After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

    Shannen Doherty looked radiant on the red carpet of LA’s Baby2Baby gala despite the problems she is currently facing.

    “At the @baby2baby gala. Such a wonderful evening with inspiring women like @kerrywashington who gave one of the most inspiring speeches and the gorgeous, funny @jessicaalba,” Doherty captioned her Instagram photo. “Check out #baby2baby an organization that helps supply necessities for children coming from low income or no income families.”

    Doherty, who is best known for her roles in hit ‘90s TV series such as Charmed and Beverly Hills 90210, kept her style chic and classic with her black floor-length Vera Wang dress and silver jewelry as accessories. She styled her long, jet black hair in loose waves. This marks her first appearance since she revealed that she was battling breast cancer last month.

    Shannen Doherty Played Prue In ’90s Drama Charmed

    In her August interview with People, the actress admitted she was undergoing treatment for breast cancer but said she remains positive about her life. She opened up about her disease after she learned her former management firm, Tanner Mainstain, failed to pay her medical insurance on time. Her camp says that by the time Shannen Doherty was able to re-enroll with her provider and received medical attention, they found “invasive breast cancer metastatic to at least one lymph node.”

    According to the lawsuit she filed, she could have undergone gentler treatment if the cancer had been detected earlier, and mastectomy and chemotherapy would not have been the only options left to treat her disease.

    “In November 2013, SAG sent the premium invoice to Tanner Maintain for Plaintiff’s medical insurance coverage for the year 2014,” the suit stated. “However, Defendants ignore it, failed to pay it (without informing Plaintiff) and then promptly terminated their relationship with [Doherty] effective February 7, 2014.”

    Kurt Iswarienko, Shannen Doherty’s husband is also filing charges against the management firm for mismanagement of their assets.

  • Shannen Doherty Hits Gala, Looks Great Following Breast Cancer Diagnosis

    Shannen Doherty stepped out and looked great at the Baby2Baby Gala in Culver City, California this weekend.

    It’s the first time she’s hit a red carpet since announcing her breast cancer diagnosis in August.

    “Such a wonderful evening with inspiring women like @kerrywashington who gave one of the most inspiring speeches and the gorgeous, funny @jessicaalba check out #baby2baby an organization that helps supply necessities for children coming from low income or no income families. Thank you @aliparkerkay for inviting me and letting me be a part of your table filled with such great women. @annemkortright … Love you. And thanks #verawang for making such a comfortable yet stylish dress! Thanks to the amazing @debwakninstylist for years of friendship and her expertise,” she wrote on Instagram.

    Doherty revealed her cancer diagnosis when she sued her former management company in August. According to the lawsuit, her out-of-date health care coverage led to a late diagnosis, and a “a likely mastectomy and chemotherapy treatment potentially could have been avoided,” says ET.

    The lawsuit claims that “in Nov. 2013, SAG sent the premium invoice to management firm Tanner Mainstain for Plaintiff’s medical insurance coverage for the year 2014. However, Defendants ignored it, failed to pay it (without informing Plaintiff) and then promptly terminated their relationship with [Doherty] effective Feb. 7, 2014.”

    Doherty has spent time promoting breast cancer awareness via social media since her diagnosis.

  • Angelina Jolie Raised Much Awareness by Sharing Double Mastectomy Experience

    Angelina Jolie started what is now referred to as the “Angelina Effect” when she shared publicly she had undergone a double mastectomy to prevent breast cancer back in May of 2013.

    Testing positive for a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, which significantly raises the chances of developing breast cancer, Angelina Jolie opted to undergo the preventative surgery. In doing so she significantly raised awareness about the disease.

    She also raised awareness about the use of women’s fat tissue in the breast reconstruction process. In addition, women have learned that in most cases they can have reconstructive surgery at the same time they have their breasts removed.

    A 2014 study in the U.K. shows that more women have genetic testing for breast cancer risk since Angelina Jolie went public with her test results.

    Angelina Jolie didn’t have to share her very personal struggle with her breast surgery, but in doing so she made women all around the world even more aware of some of the options available to them.

    Did your understanding of genetic testing and breast cancer surgery increase following Angelina Jolie’s testing and surgery?

  • Joan Collins Mourns Sister Jackie Collins in Poignant Essay

    Joan Collins isn’t a writer. That talent belonged to her late sister Jackie Collins. Joan did an amazing job both mourning and saying goodbye to her beloved sister in recent days, however, in a poignant essay she wrote.

    The actress shared her written words about the author on her website.

    “Jackie really enjoyed her life so much and lived it to the hilt, and when we were together, even if we hadn’t seen each other for a few months, we were thick as thieves,” Joan wrote. “I don’t think I will ever recover from the sadness of losing my beautiful baby sister.”

    “Someone once said: ‘The reality is you don’t “get over” the loss of a loved one, you learn to live with it.’ I think Jackie would have liked us to do more than that. As she requested, I will not mourn her death, but rather celebrate her life,” she added.

    Jackie Collins died on September 19th. Joan only learned her sister had cancer in the days prior to her passing. Jackie was 77.

    Joan Collins shared a phone call she received from her sister when she shared the devastating news.

    “My voice was so choked with tears I could hardly speak. She explained that since we spent so much time in Europe, while she was in LA, she knew I would be worried but there would be nothing I could do,” she recalled. “That was typical of my sister. She always put other people, particularly family, ahead of herself.”

    In addition to being a brilliant author, Joan Collins remembers Jackie as being so much more.

    “I therefore choose to remember her as the strong, independent, loyal, caring, maternal, fun-loving, witty, joyful woman she was,” she wrote. “She will live on in the wonderful memories I have of her from our childhood and particularly from the last 15 years.”

    “I feel her spirit, I hear her wonderful laugh and I see her all the time in the hundreds of photos of her sprinkled around my home. She wasn’t just a star—to me she was an entire galaxy,” Joan Collins concluded.


    She also asked fans to consider donating to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Organization in honor of Jackie Collins.

    Joan Collins will long mourn the death of her beloved sister. Hopefully the warm memories she reflects on now will provide some strength and peace in the coming weeks and months as she learns how to navigate life without her.

  • Jackie Collins Kept Breast Cancer Diagnosis from Sister Joan Collins

    Jackie Collins died on Saturday of breast cancer, but her sister, actress Joan Collins, didn’t know of her diagnosis until just days before she died.

    The bestselling author was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2009, but she only shared her diagnosis with her three grown daughters. She didn’t want her illness to become fodder for the tabloids, and she didn’t want an outpouring of sympathy.

    Jackie Collins protected sister Joan Collins from the truth about her illness “because it would have really affected her,” she said in an interview just days before she died.

    “I just felt like she didn’t need it in her life. She’s very positive and very social, but I’m not sure how strong she is, so I didn’t want to burden her with it,” she said.

    Jackie Collins traveled to London to share the devastating news with her sister.

    “[Joan] was very shocked. She had no idea,” she said. “But she was great. We were emotional. My brother Bill was there too, and he’s fantastic. It was a really good trip.”

    Joan Collins talked to People magazine in the days after Jackie Collins’s death.

    “She was my best friend,” Joan said. “I admire how she handled this. She was a wonderful, brave and a beautiful person and I love her.”

    Jackie Collins had no regrets over keeping her secret about her illness. She maintained a sense of humor to the very end.

    “I did it my way,” she said, “as Frank Sinatra would say.”

    Were you a fan of Jackie Collins’ novels? The bestselling author will indeed be missed by her fans.

  • Shannen Doherty Breast Cancer Could Have Been Stopped If All Americans Had Insurance?

    Shannen Doherty Breast Cancer Could Have Been Stopped If All Americans Had Insurance?

    Shannen Doherty has come out to the public about having breast cancer. It’s not clear whether she would have done so of her own volition, but rather was “outed” when court documents made public by TMZ revealed that Doherty had breast cancer.

    “Yes, I have breast cancer, and I am currently undergoing treatment,” Doherty said.

    “I am continuing to eat right, exercise and stay very positive about my life,” Doherty continued. “I am thankful to my family, friends and doctors for their support and, of course, my fans who have stood by me.”

    So how did Shannen Doherty’s breast cancer end up in court documents? Apparently Doherty is suing her former business manager in a case that directly relates to her cancer.

    Court documents indicate that Doherty is accusing her former business manager of failing to pay her insurance premiums, which caused Doherty’s health insurance to lapse. While her insurance was lapsed, Doherty could not receive medical care since the United States does not have Universal Health Care Coverage like every other First World country on the planet.

    Once Doherty got her for-profit health insurance back, she had an exam where she “discovered that she had invasive breast cancer metastatic to at least one lymph node,” the lawsuit shows, and “was informed that her cancer had spread during 2014 (when she was uninsured).”

    Shannen Doherty “was also informed that, had she been insured and able to visit her doctor, the cancer could potentially have been stopped, thus obviating the need for future treatment (including mastectomy and chemotherapy) that [Doherty] will likely have to suffer through now.”

    The moral of the story: If you don’t pay your for-profit insurance premiums in the United States, even if you are a rich celebrity, and even if you hired someone to take care of just such a thing, you can get life-threatening cancer and have to endure all manner of ills that the poorest persons in Cuba do not have to worry about.

  • Sandra Lee: Celebrity Chef Released From Hospital After Double Mastectomy, Calls It ‘An Exciting Day’

    Sandra Lee was released from the hospital Monday after undergoing a double mastectomy as part of her treatment in a battle with cancer, called the day “exciting.

    Sandra Lee, 48, celebrity chef and wife of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, shared a photo Monday to tell her followers that she is headed home, surrounding by family.

    The post showed a photo of Lee in her hospital bed.

    “Today is an exciting day! Sandra is going home to [Lily] Pond with her sister Kimber and Governor Cuomo,” she captioned the photo. “She is most excited to sleep in her own bed – and see Phoenix and Halo when she wakes up!”

    Sandra Lee went under the knife Tuesday and has been recovering in the hospital. Her partner of 10 years, Governor Andrew Cuomo stayed by her side throughout.

    Perhaps to help her heal and certainly to provide encouragement to others, Sandra Lee has been documenting her cancer journey with Facebook and Twitter videos and posts.

    On Saturday, she said in a video update posted to her Facebook page that fighting cancer is far more difficult than she ever dreamed.

    “Both Rita [Wilson] and Christina Applegate told me I was not gonna be as strong as I thought I was gonna be, and they’re right,” she said of her actress friends, both breast cancer survivors. “It’s really throwing me for a loop.”

    Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Sandra Lee.

  • Sandra Lee Doing Well After Double Mastectomy

    Sandra Lee has just faced down one of ths scariest things many women say they could face. The television chef just underwent a double mastectomy for DCIS, or ductal carcinoma in situ.

    Sandra Lee told the world about her diagnosis on Good Morning America last week. Tuesday, her boyfriend — who also happens to be the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, released a statement about her condition after surgery.

    Sandra Lee is “as well as can be expected,” Governor Cuomo said.

    “Around 8 a.m. this morning, Sandy underwent surgery that concluded just before 1 p.m. I am happy to report that she is doing as well as can be expected and has begun the post-surgery recovery process.

    “On behalf of Sandy and myself, I want to thank everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers over the last few days. Your support has meant the world to us.”

    Last week, Sandra Lee told Robin Roberts that she had been shocked by the sudden diagnosis.

    “I just was still. I didn’t even cry, I was stunned,” Sandra Lee said. “And that’s how fast life turns, it turns on a dime.”

    Like many women, Sandra Lee considered a lumpectomy to remove the cancer, but her doctors advised a more radical approach.

    “Both the radiologist and the doctor said, ‘You’re a ticking time bomb,’ and they both said, ‘I would just get them both done.’”

    Sandra Lee is famous for her Food Network show Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee, as well as Sandra’s Restaurant Remakes and Sandra Lee’s Taverns, Lounges & Clubs.

    She popularized the “semi-homemade” cooking concept that recognizes how busy many people are. The idea is for the average recipe to use 70 percent pre-packaged products, but 30 percent homemade ingredients.

  • Sandra Lee Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Food Network Star to Undergo Double Mastectomy

    Sandra Lee, the Food Network star known for her ‘Semi-Homemade’ cooking concept, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and will undergo a double mastectomy later this week. Lee has DCIS–which stands for ductal carcinoma in situ. It is a common noninvasive cancer contained within the milk ducts. It can become invasive over time if left untreated.

    People magazine reports that Sandra Lee went in for what she expected to be a routine mammogram and wound up with the cancer diagnosis.

    Lee has dated New York Governor Andrew Cuomo since 2005, and he says he plans to be by her side throughout the entire ordeal. That includes being by her side when she has the surgery.

    “This is about her feeling secure and loved,” he says.

    “My doctor called me a poster girl for mammography,” Sandra Lee says.

    She is definitely glad she didn’t wait until age 50 to get her first mammogram, as new guidelines recommend. She is 48.

    “I am in good health. I have no family history. I tested negative for both [breast-cancer-causing genes] BRCA1 and BRCA2. I had no warning sights–no feeling of being tired, no pain and no lump–nothing,’’ she shared in her very emotional tweet.

    “Had I not gone for a routine annual mammogram, I would never have known I was in danger,” she adds

    Andrew Cuomo is incredibly proud of Sandra Lee for sharing her story in the media.

    “We’re hopeful that she’s going to have surgery at the end of this week and that everything turns out well,’’ he said.

    “To me, it’s just another reminder,’’ the governor added. “One phone call could change your life, and sometimes you get caught up in the day to day and all these little nuances that we think are so important at the time, and then you get a phone call that actually reminds you of what’s really important. I lost my father in January, this situation with Sandy, it just reframes everything for you.”

    Lots of prayers will no doubt be said for Sandra Lee this week as she undergoes the double mastectomy that will save her life from breast cancer. Fans will be anxiously awaiting word from Andrew Cuomo on the outcome of her surgery.

  • Sandra Lee, Food Network Chef and Girlfriend of NY Governor Andrew Cuomo, Reveals She Has Breast Cancer

    Sandra Lee revealed to Good Morning America Tuesday that she is battling breast cancer.

    The Food Network star, Sandra Lee, said she was diagnosed with DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), a common noninvasive cancer contained within the milk ducts that can become invasive over time if left untreated. She said she was diagnosed after a routine mammogram.

    According to People magazine, Sandra Lee will undergo a double mastectomy this week.

    “Life can turn on a dime,” she told People about the diagnosis.

    Although treatment is normally a lumpectomy followed by radiation or a mastectomy, Sandra Lee has chosen to undergo a double mastectomy because she did not want to go through six to eight weeks of daily radiation.

    Sandra Lee, who had a mammogram before the recommended age of 50, said she also chose the more aggressive treatment partially out of fear of a recurrence.

    “I never want to go through this again,” she said.

    After her mammogram, Lee had a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis, and underwent testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2, the genes that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.

    She tested negative, then consulted several doctors to help her make her choice of treatment.

    Sandra Lee’s boyfriend of 10 years, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, will be by her side in the operating room.

    “This is about her feeling secure and loved,” he told People.

    “My doctor called me a poster girl for mammography,” Sandra Lee said.

    The ordeal has taught the chef much and she says she plans to help others in the future.

    “Girls in 20s and their 30s just have to know. And I don’t want women to wait. And that’s why I’m talking … If it saves one person, and makes one more person go get a mammogram, and if they’re sitting down right now watching this, don’t watch this TV. Go pick your phone up, and call your doctor and get your rear end in there and get a mammogram right now,” Sandra Lee told fellow cancer survivor Robin Roberts.

  • Amber Marchese: ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Star Confirms Cancer is Back

    Amber Marchese, star of The Real Housewives of New Jersey, confirmed recently that her cancer has returned. She learned the devastating news back in April.

    “I was just sick to my stomach,” she said in an interview with People magazine.

    “I can’t even begin to describe the feeling you get when someone says you have cancer,” she adds. “Then to get it again after you thought you fought it and thought it was behind you ….”

    Amber Marchese feared at first that her life was over.

    “I was thinking, ‘This is definitely it. I’m going to die,’” she said.

    First diagnosed with breast cancer back in 2009, Amber Marchese underwent a bilateral mastectomy even though her left breast was cancer-free–just to be on the safe side. She had a cancer scare on the last season of the RHONJ when blood tests for a cancer screening were at first inconclusive. In the end, she learned that she was, indeed, still cancer-free. Sadly, that has now changed.

    The new tumor, she says, “is right in the middle of where the other two were. It’s the same type of tumor.”

    Amber Marchese believed chemotherapy would rid her of cancer forever.

    “I thought, you remove it, you go through the harsh treatments, and you move on. So I was shocked. Everyone is shocked,” she said.

    Marchese says her doctor isn’t certain yet if the tumor is a new one or if not enough tissue was removed during the mastectomy.

    “You’re never going to remove 100 percent of the breast tissue with a mastectomy. So you just pray to God that you remove enough,” she said.

    “You have a double mastectomy and chemotherapy to stack all the odds in your favor so that there is no recurrence. The percentage of it recurring is very small, less than 5 percent. I just fell into that category. I wasn’t so lucky.”

    It was back on April 3rd when Amber Marchese was watching a movie with her husband, Jim Marchese, that she discovered the new lump.

    “I have no idea what made me do this, but I reached my arms over my head and touched my right breast and felt it. It was hard. It was pea-sized. And I just knew …. My heart just sank,” she said.

    “I said, ‘Jim, I just found another lump.’ It was right by the site of the other tumors. I just knew in my heart that this was serious, and Jim did too.”

    Amber Marchese will soon have more surgery to remove the remaining breast tissue with clean margins. She will then undergo radiation treatments five days a week for five weeks. She will be having an MRI of both her chest and her brain as well, to make sure the cancer hasn’t spread.

    The Real Housewives of New Jersey star is a strong believer in the power of prayer.

    “By God’s good grace, I found the lump on Good Friday,” she says. “I have spent a lot of time in prayer. It’s the only thing that is giving me a sense of hope that no matter what, everything is going to be okay. It takes away my fear and doubt.

    “Then you kind of just take a deep breath and you just talk. Jim and I talked this through every which way, probably 24/7. And we pray. We pray together. We pray by ourselves,” she adds.

    Surely Amber Marchese’s friends and fans are praying for her as well. Hopefully with medical intervention and all these prayers, she will once again be cancer free.

  • Rebecca Ellison, Wife of Rio Ferdinand, Loses Cancer Battle

    Rebecca Ellison, wife of Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand, lost her battle with breast cancer on Friday. She was just 34 years old.

    “My soul mate slipped away last night,” Ferdinand said in a statement.

    ”Rebecca, my wonderful wife, passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London. She was a fantastic, loving mother to our three beautiful children. She will be missed as a wife, sister, aunt, daughter and granddaughter. She will live on in our memory, as a guide and inspiration,” Ferdinand wrote.

    “Myself, my parents Janice and Julian, along with Rebecca’s parents Lesley and Stephen, would like to thank our families, friends and my club colleagues who have rallied around in these desperate days, weeks and months. I would also like to express my gratitude for the dedication and expertise of the staff led by Professors Johnstone and Clarke at the Royal Marsden. Their valiant efforts to prolong Rebecca’s all-too-short life will not be forgotten,” he added.

    Rio Ferdinand and Rebecca Ellison married back in 2009, and have three children. Lorenz is nine, Tate is six, and Tia is four years old.

    Rio Ferdinand didn’t appear in QPR’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool on Saturday. He has been on a leave of absence–that was previously unexplained–in recent weeks. Both QPR and Liverpool teams expressed their sympathies at Anfield before and during the game, regarding the passing of Rebecca Ellison.

    Condolences are no doubt going out to Rio Ferdinand from all around the world on the passing of his wife Rebecca Ellison. May his family find some peace from that love and support in the coming days.

  • Kylie Minogue Understands Angelina Jolie’s Choice of Breast and Ovary Removal

    Kylie Minogue completely understands the medical decisions Angelina Jolie made regarding the removal of her breasts and her ovaries in her efforts to prevent getting cancer. The singer was a guest recently on The Jonathan Ross Show, and was asked if she identifies with the decisions that actress made–especially about her decision to go public with her cancer scare.

    “To a point, I mean cancer has many forms,” she said.

    “I guess, I can only say to a point I did because I don’t really know her story, she doesn’t really know my story,” Kylie Minogue added.

    “Cancer has probably touched everyone in this audience in some way or another and all the stories are different, but certainly in as much as she felt it was her duty to talk about it,” she continued. “I never questioned, not for a split second did I think of not saying what I had.”

    Kylie Minogue is coming up on her 10-year milestone of being cancer free in May. She was diagnosed in May of 2005 with breast cancer.

    “I’m good. I have yet to reach my ten-year mark, which I imagine I’ll be having a bit of champagne and crying a lot and feeling very happy and joyful and thanking all my friends and family,” she explained.

    “It’s quite difficult to talk about it in interview situations because it’s deep, and it’s long and it’s involved and it’s hard to really say what it was in a neat package. It’s pretty strange,” she admitted.

    Angelina Jolie just recently went public with her decision to have her ovaries removed. She has been very vocal about cancer awareness ever since she had her breasts removed after learning she is genetically predisposed to getting cancer.

    Do you suppose Kylie Minogue will share more about her cancer ordeal once she reaches her 10-year mark next month?

  • Angelina Jolie Underwent Preventative Surgery Last Week to Remove Ovaries and Fallopian Tubes

    Angelina Jolie has revealed that she underwent preventative surgery last week to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes.

    Angelina Jolie, who underwent a preventative double mastectomy in 2013, wrote an op-ed piece for the New York Times, entitled Angelina Jolie Pitt: Diary of a Surgery, explaining her decision to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes after doctors allegedly detected a possible sign of early cancer.

    Angelina Jolie, who will now be unable to have more children, wrote that she was recently told by doctors that “a number of inflammatory markers” were elevated, which could indicate early cancer.

    Angelina Jolie’s fears are merited as she carries the BRCA1 gene, which brings an estimated 87 percent risk of breast cancer and a 50 percent risk of ovarian cancer. Her family has a history of cancer — her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and died of ovarian cancer.

    Angelina Jolie said in her op-ed that a PET/CT scan came back clear, but she chose to remove her ovaries and tubes preventatively.

    “In my case, the Eastern and Western doctors I met agreed that surgery to remove my tubes and ovaries was the best option, because on top of the BRCA gene, three women in my family have died from cancer,” she wrote. “My doctors indicated I should have preventive surgery about a decade before the earliest onset of cancer in my female relatives. My mother’s ovarian cancer was diagnosed when she was 49. I’m 39.”

    “Regardless of the hormone replacements I’m taking, I am now in menopause,” she continued. “I will not be able to have any more children, and I expect some physical changes. But I feel at ease with whatever will come, not because I am strong but because this is a part of life. It is nothing to be feared.”

    Angelina Jolie, who was much affected by her mother’s death, wrote that her kids now “will never have to say, ‘Mom died of ovarian cancer.’”

  • Sharon Osbourne Fears Dying of Alzheimer’s Like Her Dad

    Sharon Osbourne has long had a fear that she is just recently sharing with the media. She is terrified of dying of Alzheimer’s disease, the way her father did. Ozzy Osbourne’s wife lost her father, Don Arden, to the disease back in 2007 at the age of 81.

    “I was terrified because my dad died from Alzheimer’s. It is the most soul-destroying disease. To see someone you love come down with it… it’s wicked, it really is,” Osbourne said during a recent interview. “There is nothing I can do to prevent it, nothing. People say to take cod liver oil and do puzzles and things, but then I look at people diagnosed with dementia.”

    “My father was super active mentally, and take Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan… they were all so active, and that’s what really frightens me,” she added.

    Sharon Osbourne and her husband recently shared with the media that they both underwent genome testing. In doing so they learned that Sharon has two of the four genes that are responsible for Alzheimer’s disease.

    “Ozzy and I had these tests done at a university in England, and the results took three months to come back. They test every single cell, chromosome and gene in your body; it’s like a DNA test but a million times more sophisticated,” a terrified Osbourne shared.

    “The results showed I have two of the four genes that give it to you. They’re not the two major genes, but they’re still there and I have them,” she said.

    Sharon Osbourne is already a cancer warrior. The former X-Factor judge battled colon cancer that spread to her lymph nodes. Two years following her treatment, she founded the Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in L.A. She learned during this recent genome testing that she also has a high risk of developing breast cancer.

    Sharon Osbourne clearly has a lot on her plate–and on her mind–at the moment.

    She takes time to joke, however, about her husband, Ozzy Osbourne. Once known for his life of booze, drugs, and even eating the heads off baby bats–the rocker’s tests came out remarkably clean.

    “So Ozzy had it done and, unbelievably, he came out so clean. He came out allergic to alcohol, coffee and dust. Dust! He is so healthy, it’s ridiculous,” Sharon said.

    At least Sharon Osbourne’s sense of humor is intact. And humor–along with optimism–can be key in surviving any illness. Hopefully Sharon Osbourne never develops Alzheimer’s disease as she fears she will. Between now and them, however, strides could be made toward further slowing down the disease or perhaps one day even curing it.

  • Christina Applegate Now Helps Breast Cancer Patients

    Christina Applegate was devastated back in 2008 when she received the news that she had breast cancer.

    During an interview for her new public service announcement for Stand Up to Cancer and Cancer Treatment Centers of America, Christina Applegate admitted that she felt entirely alone and shocked.

    “I think when you get diagnosed with cancer, there’s such a sense of loneliness, but we need to know as people going through this is that you’re not alone,” she said.

    While many of us remember her as the unsinkable Kelly Bundy on Married with Children, she didn’t seem so unbreakable after her diagnosis. But, thankfully she had a doctor that put her in contact with a great support system.

    “Our doctors understood that we, as cancer survivors or patients, are the ones that really understand one another on a deep cellular level,” Christina Applegate said. “I had these three strangers in my life who I called up at any time of the night and they would be there for me and answer any questions that I have.”

    To be on the safe side, she underwent a double mastectomy. Christina Applegate is now cancer-free, but she hasn’t forgotten the help she received. She now helps women who have recently been diagnosed with, or have survived, breast cancer.

    She simply talks to them on the phone and lets them know that she understands and that she is there for them. And sometimes, that is all they need to hear.

    “I always get really nervous right before I get on the phone, because I think that this person might need to hear something different than the girl I talked to two weeks ago,” Christina Applegate said in the interview. “But the one thing that helped me was, ‘I’m here for you,’ so that you never feel alone.”

    What a great way for Christina Applegate to help those who need an understanding ear when their lives seem to be crumbling around them! What do you think of her new purpose?