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I Needed to Catch My Breath Before Sharing': Olivia Munn Announces Private Breast Cancer Battle
Michelle Milliken
In an emotional Instagram post, the 43-year-old actress shared that she was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 months ago, and it was all thanks to her committed OBGYN.
Munn said that in February 2023, she took a test to see if she had any cancer genes, which came up all clear, as had her most recent mammogram. However, her OBGYN, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, wanted to be extra safe by calculating Munn’s Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score, which reflects a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer in her lifetime. Due to factors like her age, family breast cancer history, and the fact that she had her first child after the age of 30, her risk was calculated at 37%. Her doctor told her that anything above 20% means a woman should be getting both annual mammograms and breast MRIs starting at age 30.
So, despite the recent clear mammogram and her lack of genetic cancer risk, Munn went to get that MRI, which ultimately led to an ultrasound, a biopsy, and a diagnosis of Luminal B breast cancer in both of her breasts.
As part of treatment, she’s undergone four surgeries, including a double mastectomy, as well as “so many days in bed” she “can’t even count.”
She wrote, “I’ve tended to let people see me when I have energy, when I can get dressed and get out of the house, when I can take my baby boy to the park. I’ve kept the diagnosis and the worry and the recovery and the pain medicine and the paper gowns private. I needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing.”
Though this is the first time she’s gone public with her health battle, she’s had plenty of support in private. She thanked her friends, family, and, in particular, John Mulaney, the father of her son, for being there for her and always putting photos of their son in such a place that they’d be the first thing she’d see when she woke up from surgeries.
The broader breast cancer community has also been a source of support for her.
She wrote, “Thank you to the friends who’ve had breast cancer and the friends who connected me to friends who’ve had breast cancer for guiding me through some of my most uncertain and overwhelming moments.”
As for others who may ultimately find themselves in the same situation, Munn encouraged everyone to ask their doctors to calculate their Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score so they may also be able to catch things early enough.
Munn is known for her work on "The Daily Show", the HBO program "The Newsroom", and for her appearances in a variety of films. The animal lover also worked with Greater Good Charities and Halo pet food in 2020, serving as a celebrity judge on the “Walk and Wag” photo contest, which helped raise money for rescues and whose winners got a special shoutout from the actress.