Cancer doesn’t discriminate. While risks for developing certain cancers go up or down based on lifestyle choices, diet, and other factors, many types of cancers strike regardless of other health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors. Here are eight celebrities who have taken their own battles with cancer public to raise awareness:
Christina Applegate: Breast Cancer
As a teenager, she kept us in stitches with her antics as the dim-witted Kelly Bundy on Married With Children. As an adult, she brought her talent to the big screen and Broadway, starring in a number of hit roles before taking on the lead in the show Samantha Who?, which garnered her Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. In 2008, the laughter was silenced, when the actress, then 36, was given a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Applegate struggled with how to cope with her diagnosis at first, having told People, “It’s hard to live quietly. I went through five weeks of work without telling anyone that this was going on in my life.” Ultimately, Applegate went public with her battle to raise awareness about breast cancer risks for young women who may think that they’re too young to be stricken. Because her own mother is a breast cancer survivor, Applegate’s risk for developing the condition is elevated. This risk made her seek annual mammograms beginning at age 30, switching to an MRI scan that ultimately caught her cancer at an early stage, which resulted in a less invasive treatment. Ultimately, Applegate opted for a double mastectomy, when a test for the BRCA gene, also called the breast cancer gene, came back positive.
Tom Green: Testicular Cancer
Tom Green is perhaps best known for his role as the host of MTV’s The Tom Green Show, and former husband to actress Drew Barrymore. In 2000, Green was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The actor initially kept his struggle private, undergoing a testicular removal and keeping his diagnosis secret from those around him. However, when doctors recommended a lymph node removal surgery - to determine whether or not his cancer had spread - Green decided to go public with his story, filming The Tom Green Cancer Special. This gave audiences an opportunity to follow along with his procedure. The special aired on MTV in May, 2000, gaining critical acclaim.
Sharon Osbourne: Colon Cancer
Sharon Osbourne rose to fame with her role as the outspoken musician’s wife and matriarch in The Osbournes, a reality TV show that followed heavy metal musician Ozzy Osbourne and his motley crew. She has since expanded her career to take on a wide range of titles, including TV competition judge, author and business manager. In 2002, during the first season of The Osbournes, she also earned the title “cancer survivor,” when she was diagnosed with and underwent treatment for colorectal cancer. Osborne joined the more than 132,000 men and women who were diagnosed that year, and every year, with the second leading cause of cancer death in the United States. When she was diagnosed, she insisted that filming for her show should continue, following her journey and raising awareness for this largely silent killer. Despite a survival prognosis of only 33 percent, she made a full recovery and has gone on to found the Sharon Osbourne Colon Cancer Program at Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
Robert De Niro: Prostate Cancer
Hollywood legend Robert De Niro has made it a point to keep his personal life out of the limelight. However, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2003, his publicist announced that the condition was detected early because of the actor’s regular check-ups, and that doctors expected the actor to make a full recovery. The 60-year-old actor declined to discuss his treatment plans, with his publicist telling the Daily Mail, “He’s a private person and doesn’t care to have his treatment out for public consumption.”
Kathy Bates: Ovarian Cancer/Breast Cancer
Kathy Bates rose to fame for her eerie performance as a mentally-ill, start-struck nurse in the film adaptation of Stephen King’s Misery, and has gone on to a glitzy career in films such as Titanic, Primary Colors, and in shows such as American Horror Story.
In 2003, Bates was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, and won her battle with the illness only to announce in September 2012, that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite having tested negative for the breast cancer gene, Bates took serious measures, undergoing a double mastectomy to minimize her risk of developing the cancer again.
Cynthia Nixon: Breast Cancer
Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon had her own battle with breast cancer, which she kept private during her treatment. She told Nightline’s Cynthia McFadden that she didn’t want to have paparazzi following her to the hospital or publicizing her personal struggle. Nixon was familiar with the illness, with her own mother surviving a battle with breast cancer with the actress was 12 years old.
Nixon received her diagnosis after filming for the hit show had ended. At the time, she was performing in the off-Broadway play The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. The steadfast actress scheduled her procedure for a Sunday so that she would not have to miss a single performance of her show. She has since become an activist and spokeswoman for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
Fran Drescher: Uterine Cancer
Small screen funny girl Fran Drescher, best known for her big-haired, nasally-voiced role as a conniving nanny received her own sobering diagnosis in June 2000. The actress spent two years prior attempting to get an accurate diagnosis for a series of nondescript symptoms, which included spotting between periods, cramping and others issues. She finally learned that she had Stage I uterine cancer. Having been misdiagnosed, the actress had been prescribed hormone therapy, which worsened her symptoms and fueled her cancer. Drescher was eventually outed by the tabloids and vowed to use her story to raise awareness for this deadly cancer.
In 2002, she published her book, Cancer Schmancer, and subsequently launched a foundation by the same name to raise awareness for early detection, cancer prevention, and policy change.
Mr. T: T-Cell Lymphoma
In 1995, Hollywood tough guy Mr. T noticed that he had a small sore on his ear. After waiting several weeks to see a dermatologist, he was finally diagnosed with a rare form of T-cell lymphoma, which required further testing, including a CAT scan, bone marrow aspiration, and others to determine how far the cancer had spread. Because of early detection and quick action, Mr. T was lucky enough to catch the condition before it spread from his ear. He underwent radiation therapy as a precaution.
Unfortunately, the cancer returned just eleven months later. The television tough guy underwent chemotherapy to treat the sores that were appearing on his body, more widespread this time. The chemotherapy was unsuccessful, and he subsequently underwent interferon-therapy and more low-dose chemo, along with radiation, for several years. Speaking of his battle, he said, “I have grown into a cancer fighter. I am a soldier, a veteran at that. Cancer wants to fight me again. I am not afraid this time. Fighting cancer for the third time, can I still believe in God? Yes, I can, and stronger than before.”