Christina Applegate "100%" Cancer Free After Double Mastectomy

NEW YORK — Christina Applegate is taking the long view of her battle with breast cancer _ the really long view. Speaking on ABC News' "Good Morning America" in her first interview since announcing her diagnosis earlier this month, the "Samantha Who?" star said she had a double mastectomy three weeks ago. She'll undergo reconstructive surgery over the next eight months.

"I'm going to have cute boobs 'til I'm 90, so there's that," she joked in the interview, which aired Tuesday. "I'll have the best boobs in the nursing home. I'll be the envy of all the ladies around the bridge table."

The 36-year-old actress elected to remove both breasts even though the disease was contained in one breast. She said she is now cancer-free.

Applegate called the operation a logical decision. Her mother battled breast cancer, and she tested positive for the BRCA1 gene mutation linked to breast and ovarian cancer.

"I just wanted to kind of be rid of it," she said. "So this was the choice I made and it was a tough one."

The experience has been an emotional roller coaster, she said.

"Sometimes, you know, I cry and sometimes I scream and I get really angry and I get really like, you know, into wallowing in self-pity sometimes," she said. "And I think that's _ it's all part of healing, and anyone who's going through it out there, it's OK to cry. It's OK to fall on the ground and just scream if you want to."

The Emmy-nominated "Samantha Who?" star has kept her sense of humor intact.

"I've laughed so much in the last three weeks," she said. "I love living, and I really love my life, and I knew that from this moment on it was only going to be good that was going to be coming. Yeah, I'll face challenges, but you can't get any darker than where I've been. So knowing that in my soul gave me the strength to just say, `I have to get out there and make this a positive.'"

Applegate's cancer was detected early through a doctor-ordered MRI. She said she's starting a program to help women at high risk for breast cancer to meet the costs of an MRI, which is not always covered by insurance.

Applegate is scheduled to appear on a one-hour TV special, "Stand Up to Cancer," to be aired on ABC, CBS and NBC on Sept. 5 to raise funds for cancer research.

She has been nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe for the ABC show "Samantha Who?", in which she plays a woman who wakes from a coma with no memory of who she is.

Comments

[LiamR]

A very tough lady. My prayers are with you Christina.

[LiberalBuzz]

Hang in there baby, the world loves ya and we are all pulling for you!!

[fDubya]

Bravo. It's not what you're dealt, it's what you do with the hand. Well played.

[bbbbmer]

CA is one of the great underrated actors in American theatrical arts. I wish her well and a speedy return to whatever vehicle will feature her fine talents...

[Destin]

Like some of the others mentioned, gotta admire her optimism, as well as her positive outlook on it. I have no doubt she'll beat it and go on to live a nice long life. Found it nice that she could even crack a joke about her new future boobs. :) My sis had cancer like this, being in just one breast, but chose to only have the cancerous one removed. Sometimes I think she regrets not getting both done at the same time. But she is still nice and healthy all these years later, so she's happy for that just the same. :)

[mimsnpips]

What an inspiration. All the best for you young lady!

[NABNYC]

Breast cancer is a plague, a serious threat to all American women. But not someone as young as her. What an awful thing to have to go through, although I think it's exactly the right decision: choose to save your own life, and the rest is just detail.

We should have a major commitment to serious study about what is causing the increase in breast cancer. Is it fake hormones being introduced into our bodies through plastic (as some have argued). Is it the injection of hormones into our meat and dairy products that are radically increasing the amount of hormones in our bodies, duration of exposure. We know the drug companies pushed hormones for years -- where is the class action, where is the mass recovery for all the women who got breast cancer because of those drugs? Let's put our money into healthcare instead of war.

[Succatash]

There are serious studies taking place.

Studies of thousands and thousands of women were done to demonstrate the link between breast cancer and 'estrogen' in post meno-pausal women. Many women still elect to take estrogen despite the risks which are now known.

This is not a case of drug companies 'pushing' hormones on women and at the same time trying to hide or discredit research.

"Class Action" You have to be kidding. Are you a first year law student or something.

[sonny088]

Best of luck to a very classy young woman..don­'t be afraid to express every emotion in the book during this time, it is truly part of healing. Love and hugs...

[oneblackvote]

much love

[johnnygoodwud]

class act, good luck

[Mysticalsister]

Congratulations Christina, on having the guts to take care of yourself, and for being so open with your story. I've been putting off a mammogram for too long. Just wanted you to know that thanks to you, I'll be going in ASAP. Namaste.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

Smart, funny, beautiful.­.. and oh, so brave.

Best wishes.

[technomage]

I'm pulling for Christina and admire her optimism, but she is not out of the woods AT ALL. First, nobody who has just been treated for breast cancer should even be talking about being "cancer free" this soon after surgery. It doesn't matter how radical the therapy was--especially for breast cancer we are looking at 5-10 years.

The real revelation is that she has a BRCA mutation, and that means she also has as much as 60% chance of developing ovarian cancer. So, unless she also had a radical hysterectomy to go with her mastectomy, any declaration of being "cancer free" is premature and unrealistic. She is extremely high-risk, and hopefully her residuals are paying for good healthcare, because persons of ordinary means would not be able to get insurance after this diagnosis and with these risk factors.

[Lauren Cahn - Huffpost Blogger]

I tend to agree with the notion that no one can say that they are completely out of the woods - ever. I am six years past double mastectomy and five years past chemo, and I still understand that it could come back. There is no such thing as a breast cancer that is ABSOLUTELY containable through surgery. I hope Christina is going to follow up with chemo or radiation or tamoxifen, or something. But since her appearance is so important to her career, it wouldnt suprise me if she didn't. Chemo was one of the ugliest times of my life. The first three months were fine. But then I started to get purple circles under my eyes and my eyelashes fell out...ick. Luckily, I could hide behind sunglasses and stay out of the public eye.

Ovarian cancer is a whole nother story - I dont think she meant that she will never get another cancer, just that she is cured of breast cancer.

[meleon]

Love her. She was such a champ this mornin with Robin on GMA, and just so "I did it, it's done, let''s get about the rest of my life." I am so in awe of her and all women, and all children, and all men who are faced with some amazing mountains to climb and they go for it, get over it and on with it.

[mimsnpips]

Agreed from a man who was diagnosed with testicular cancer. The surgery is not as big, it's the psychological part that's tough. Cancer free for 2 yrs!!

[GooeyButter]

good luck!