As she continues her battle with breast cancer, Olivia Munn reveals her mom is now struggling with her health, as well.
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In her latest Instagram post, Munn reveals her mom is also dealing with breast cancer. “You may know that when I talk about my own battle with cancer, I bring up the Lifetime Risk Assessment test that saved my life,” she wrote in the post’s caption. “I never would’ve predicted it would save my mom’s life as well.”
Munn also shared photos of her mom’s first day of chemo and right after her surgery.
The actress then wrote about how she encouraged her mom and sister to have the same Breast Cancer Lifetime Risk Assessment test. “My mother scored 26.2%,” she explained. “Her yearly mammogram had just come out clear, but because of that high score, I insisted she get an MRI.”
Following the MRI, Munn’s mom was diagnosed with Stage 1 HER2 breast cancer. She has since completed 12 rounds of chemo and will continue monthly Herceptin transfusions until later this year.
“From my mom being there after my double mastectomy to me being there after hers,” Olivia Munn continued. “From me having to find an oncologist, to my mom and I sharing one. I can tell you this: going through cancer is really hard. But there’s something about watching a loved one go through it that is even more heartbreaking.”
Olivia Munn Learned Anything and Everything About Her Mom’s Cancer
Olivia Munn further revealed that she and her mom’s husband, Sam, have learned everything they could about HER 2, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and cold caps.
She has also spent many nights taking care of her mom when the chemo became too much. In that time, Munn wrote she wished she could fight the fight for her mom, even if only for a day. To give her a break.
“It’s no small feat to realize you can’t do it for them,” she added. “To anyone out there who is taking care of someone or has made it their profession to do so, thank you. These fights can feel near impossible without you.”
Munn further encouraged everyone to take the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment test. “This is a free, online test,” she pointed out. “Anything above 20% is considered high risk for breast cancer, and you should insist that your doctor order a breast MRI.”
The actress cited Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, who stated every woman should take the test starting at the age of 30.
“She advises recalculating anything you have started hormone treatment, had a baby, or have a relative newly diagnosed with breast cancer,” Munn noted. “We’re taught about our periods, yearly Pap smears, and mammograms at 40. And now we need every gynecologist to incorporate the lifetime risk test into their care plans.”
She went on to praise he mom for handling her cancer battle with bravery and humor.