Thursday, October 23, 2008

Thursday Thirteen #63: Celebrities Who've Survived Breast Cancer



Thirteen Famous Breast Cancer Survivors

As many of you know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. With nearly 200,000 people diagnosed each year as having breast cancer, the disease touches many of us. Here are a few celebs who can count themselves as survivors.


1. Christina Applegate- On August 3, 2008, it was announced that the Samantha Who? star had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer. 11 days later, it was reported that Christina underwent a double mastectomy. She is currently scheduled to undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months.
















2. Diahann Carroll- The iconic actress/singer was diagnosed at the age of 63. In order to draw attention to the cause, she invited a camera crew into her treatment room for a nationally broadcast special.
















3. Sheryl Crow- In early 2006, the Grammy-winning singer was diagnosed with the disease. She underwent successful surgery later in the year and has become a passionate spokeswoman for breast cancer research.
















4. Melissa Etheridge- The award-winning singer was diagnosed in 2004 and underwent chemotherapy. Bald from the radiation treatments, Melissa made a triumphant performance at the Grammys the following year.
















5. Peggy Fleming- The 1968 Olympic gold medalist for figure skating was diagnosed in 1998. Her breast cancer was detected in its early stages and surgery was successful.
















6. Kate Jackson- The former Charlie's Angels star battled the disease twice, in 1987 and 1989.
















7. Kylie Minogue- The singer/actress/author was diagnosed in May 2005. Later that year, she completed her chemotherapy treatment at a hospital in Paris.

















8. Olivia Newton-John- The Aussie singer/actress was diagnosed in 1992. She underwent a mastectomy and breast reconstruction.

















9. Cynthia Nixon-The Sex and the City star was diagnosed during a routine mammogram in October, 2006. In 2008, she began to serve as Ambassador for Susan G. Komen for the Cure.
















10. Robin Roberts- In 2007, the Good Morning America co-anchor announced that she had been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer (she noticed a lump through self-examination). As of January of this year, Robin had completed her eight chemotherapy treatments. She then underwent 6 1/2 weeks of radiation treatment, which was completed in March.
















11. Richard Roundtree- The actor best known from the Shaft films is living proof that breast cancer affects men as well. Roundtree was diagnosed in 1993, had a radical mastectomy and rounds of chemotherapy.
















12. Rene Syler- The former co-host of CBS News the Early Show was diagnosed in 2003. An activist for the illness even before she was diagnosed, Syler is a recipient of the 2004 Gracie Allen Award for Individual Achievement in the National Best Anchor category for her breast cancer series.
















13. Shirley Temple Black- The legendary child star and former U.S. Ambassador was diagnosed in 1972 after finding a lump in her left breast. She later underwent a mastectomy and holds the distinction of being the first celebrity to publicly announce that they had breast cancer. Shirley's announcement generated over 50,000 letters of support from her fans.















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23 comments:

Anonymous said...

WOW!!!thanks for this informaiton and it's sweet of you to Honor them.

Nicholas said...

Very interesting. And more power to those brave ladies (and gentleman).

Lori said...

Timely post, Malcolm. Informative too. I totally missed that news item about Richard Roundtree when it happened. Hmm, I must not have been keeping up with my JETS that year (smile).

Open Grove Claudia said...

Great list, of course! Thanks for sharing all of these inspirational stories!

Happy TT!

Unknown said...

Very sad this dreaded disease has touched so many lives. Kudos to the survivors. Great T13!

Anonymous said...

What perfect timing for breast cancer awareness. I only knew about a few of the celebs.

Pop Art Diva Enterprises said...

I am so glad you included Richard Roundtree. Many people are unaware that breast cancer is not just a woman's disease!!!

Your post has humbled me because I was feeling sorry for myself today because of my own stupidity! I am back from the Doc in the Box with an injured leg. But my leg will heal without chemo or any surgery. I am lucky and your post has pointed that out to me!

A limping but properly chastised Pop Art Diva.

Lori said...

Great list. I was surprised at #11..Happy TT:)

Heather said...

Fantastic TT post I really enjoyed reading. Very appropriate this month! Happy to you!

jeannie said...

WOW! What an Awesome 13..
Very Inspirational...
Happy T13


thanks for stopping by:)

Journeywoman said...

I didn't know about Shirley Temple Black. I remember when Melissa Etheridge returened to the Grammys. It was amazing!

Unknown said...

Awesome theme idea, and great tribute to these survivors.

Debbie@Like a Rose said...

What a great, thoughtful idea for a list.

verabear said...

Thanks for reminding me that I wanted to tell the boyfriend about the gentleman who had breast cancer.

Very apt TT!

http://verabear.net

The Gal Herself said...

What a wonderful post! I always think of Betty Ford when this subject comes up. I was just a girl, but I remember a photo of her in the hospital, recovering from her mastectomy. On one side was her husband, and on the other side of the bed was ... BOB FREAKIN' HOPE. She looked so small and frail and I felt so sorry for her. What woman would want to see Bob Hope at a time like that? Funny the things that politicize us, isn't it?

I'm glad you included Richard Roundtree, too. (thanks for visiting my TT)

J said...

Now that's a wonderful Thursday Thirteen. :) I never knew about Shirley Temple Black, and I LOVED her movies when I was a kid.

~Just Me Miranda~ said...

Very good post. It's sad, but we're giving it a good fight. I did the run for the cure last week, it was good to go out and know I was helping in even a lil way.

Diana M said...

Thank you for sharing this information. What a powerful group. Shirley Temple has always been a favorite of mine.

pjazzypar said...

If I remember correctly Montell Williams is also a breast cancer survivor. It is a rarity for men, but it does happen.

Thorne said...

Very excellent TT! Thank you sooo much for including a man in your list. So many folks still don't get that it's a big risk for guys, too.

Thembi Ford said...

Great list. I had no idea about richard roundtree!

Holly Smith said...

Wow, this was a very timely post for this week. I had no idea about Shirley Temple Black being the first to come forward. It's great that "breast cancer" is no longer taboo subject matter. Also, I just love Robin Roberts. She's a great lady....

Meju said...

I knew of some of these women, was surprised by others...also men suffer this disease, a fact many people do not realize. Happy TT.

 
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