A tragic fact of life is that we all know someone who has been affected by cancer, and like the mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, aunties, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers who’ve bravely fought against it, these celebrities are no different.
From our very own Hugh Jackman, who’s suffered from his time spent in the sun as a young boy, to Angelina Jolie who took no chances after the women in her family lost their lives too soon.
Aussie icon Kylie Minogue battled breast cancer at a young age.
Kylie Minogue
Last year, Kylie celebrated 10-years cancer free. She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 36. After a partial mastectomy, radiation and chemotherapy, she was given the all-clear the following year.
Hugh’s time in the sun as a young boy means he now needs to take extra measures to protect himself from skin cancer today.
Hugh Jackman
The actor credits his wife, Deborah-Lee Furness, for picking up his very first cancer, saying she encouraged him to get the mark on his nose checked back in 2013. The spot was found to be a basal cell carcinoma, and he’s had a handful since. Now, he undergoes regular checks and wears a daily SPF.
Ben Stiller shocked the world when he revealed his secret battle with prostate cancer.
Ben Stiller
Ben Stiller recently revealed he’d suffered a secret battle with prostate cancer. “It came out of the blue for me. I had no idea,” Ben explained to Howard Stern. “At first, I didn’t know what was gonna happen. I was scared.” After having his prostate removed, Ben decided to speak out with the hope to raise awareness for the PSA test – a simple blood test that he feels saved his life.
Shannen Doherty bravely shared her cancer journey from start to finish with her social media followers.
Shannen Doherty
After a two year battle with breast and lymphatic cancer, the self-dubbed #CancerSlayer revealed she is now in remission. “I am blessed, I know that. But for now…. remission. I’m going to just breathe,” she penned in an emotional Instagram post.
Fran recently explained that back in 1989 she was raped. She believed the pain from the ordeal was “poetically linked” to her cancer battle.
Fran Drescher
In 2000, after two years of misdiagnoses, the actress was diagnosed with uterine cancer. Fran underwent emergency treatment, which included getting a hysterectomy. After getting the all clear, the star decided to help others by founding her charity back in 2007.
Roxy Jacenko has made no secret in that she’s had a tough couple of years, but the mother-of-two has shown strength beyond belief.
Roxy Jacenko
Weeks after her husband Oliver Curtis was sentenced for insider trading, PR maven Roxy Jacenko was diagnosed with breast cancer. After a lumpectomy and six weeks of radiation, Roxy was given the all-clear. As results revealed she had a 15 per cent chance of the cancer returning, the mother-of-two has since taken on her healthiest lifestyle with regular exercise and a balanced, healthy diet.
Tom Hanks supported wife Rita Wilson through the entirety of her cancer fight.
Rita Wilson
After her cancer almost went misdiagnosed, Rita Wilson revealed she’d undergone a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction for breast cancer after a diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma. “I hope this will encourage others to get a second opinion and to trust their instincts if something doesn’t ‘feel’ right,” she said in a statement at the time.
“I was just shaking and then also immediately, I had to go into ‘take-care-of-business-mode’ which included a change to a more healthy diet,” said Christina Applegate of her diagnosis.
Christina Applegate
While it was only in its early stages and in one breast, Christina made the brave decision to have her breasts removed with a bilateral mastectomy in 2008 after she tested positive for the dangerous BRCA1 breast cancer gene.
Ange’s mother Marcheline Bertrand had breast cancer and died from ovarian cancer. Her grandmother also passed away from ovarian cancer.
Angelina Jolie
In 2013, Angelina, 37, underwent a preventive double mastectomy after discovering she had an 87 per cent risk of developing breast cancer due to a defective BRCA1 gene. Two years later when a routine test indicated possible signs of early ovarian cancer with a 50 per cent risk of developing the illness, she underwent a preventive oophorectomy.
Giuliana’s road to motherhood was effected by cancer.
Giuliana Rancic
The TV host recently celebrated five years cancer-free after doctors discovered she had breast cancer while undergoing IVF treatment. “Breast cancer is more of my history, less of my present, but that doesn’t mean I am leaving this battlefield,” she penned in an Instagram post to mark the occasion. “To those we have lost,” she continued, “I will keep your spirit alive by continuing your fight.”
Following her cancer journey, Sally Obermeder welcomed a second daughter with the help of a surrogate.
Sally Obermeder
In 2011, while Sally Obermeder was 41-weeks pregnant with her first child, she discovered a breast lump the size of a tennis ball which was found to be stage-three breast cancer. Just days after giving birth to a healthy little girl, the TV personality endured 16 rounds of chemotherapy and two mastectomies. She was given the all-clear in 2012.
Michael Douglas told the world he had been diagnosed with throat cancer, but all was not what it seemed.
Michael Douglas
In 2010, the actor revealed he was battling throat cancer – which was later revealed to be tongue cancer. When diagnosed, Michael’s cancer was discovered to be at stage four, the most advanced stage. He embarked on an intensive eight-week course of chemotherapy and radiation, and has been cancer-free since.
This year, it is estimated that 134,174 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in Australia alone, so be sure to visit your GP for regular check-ups, and listen to your body if something doesn’t feel quite right.
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