Olivia Munn had a double mastectomy last year after being diagnosed with an “aggressive, fast-growing” form of breast cancer, she said. on Instagram Wednesday. She called herself “lucky” after nearly being diagnosed.
Women with mutations in the body BRCA1 and/or BRCA2 genes They are at increased risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer, according to the study. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Wanting to be proactive about her health, Mann took a genetic test in February 2023 that identifies 90 of these cancer genes. She all tested negative, as did her sister Sarah, who wrote: “We called each other and high-fived each other over the phone.”
The 43-year-old actress also had a normal mammogram that winter, two months before she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Mann called her an obstetrician-gynecologist and a “guardian angel.” Dr. Thais Aliabadisaving her life by recommending Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT): “I wouldn’t have discovered my cancer until a year later, at my next routine mammogram.” BCRAT, also called the Gale model, can help your doctor estimate both your short-term (within five years) and lifetime (up to age 90) risk of developing the disease.
“Doctor. Aliabadi took into account factors such as my age, family history of breast cancer and the fact that I had my first child after age 30,” Mann wrote on Instagram. “She found that my lifetime risk was 37%. Because of this result, I was sent for an MRI, which led to an ultrasound, which then led to a biopsy.”
Breast cancer is usually classified into one of four subtypes depending on whether the cancer cells have receptors for estrogen (ER-positive), progesterone (PR-positive), no hormones (HR-negative), or HER2 gene. Here’s how Mayo Clinic classifies them:
- Luminal A: ER-positive, PR-positive, HER2-negative
- Luminal B: ER-positive, PR-negative, HER2-positive
- HER2 positive: ER negative, PR negative, HER2 positive
- Basal-like or triple negative: ER-negative, PR-negative, HER2-negative
Mann was diagnosed with luminal B, a subtype that the Mayo Clinic notes is likely to benefit from chemotherapy and HER2 hormone therapy. Mann said she and her doctor caught the cancer early enough that she had options. She had a double mastectomy 30 days after the biopsy and has had a total of four surgeries in the past 10 months.
“I kept the diagnosis, anxiety, recovery, pain medication and paper gowns a secret,” Mann wrote. “I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest moments before sharing.”
What is a Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool?
Although this tool is available to anyone online through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), it is intended for healthcare professionals. The assessment includes factors such as:
- Your age at the time of your first period
- If you have children, your age at the time of the birth of your first child.
- How many of your first-degree relatives—mothers, sisters, daughters—have had breast cancer?
- Your race and ethnicity
“Ask your doctor to calculate your breast cancer score,” Mann said. “Doctor. Aliabadi says if that number is above 20%, you should have annual mammograms and breast MRIs starting at age 30.”
However, BCRAT has a number of limitations. For example, it is not intended for use in women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Data on American Indian and Alaska Native women is limited, meaning estimates for these populations may be imprecise. NCI also emphasizes that the estimate may underestimate the risk for black women with previous biopsies and Hispanic women born outside the United States.
Talk to your doctor about whether BCRAT can adequately assess your risk of developing breast cancer.
Find out more about celebrity breast cancer diagnoses: