Culture · Understand
When someone famous tells the world they have breast cancer, the headline usually stops at "breast cancer." But there isn't just one kind. Here are people who chose to talk about their diagnosis in public, grouped by the type they shared, with what that type actually means.
Stage 0
What is DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), and which celebrities have had it?
Abnormal cells inside the milk ducts that haven't spread into the surrounding breast tissue. The American Cancer Society calls it non-invasive, or pre-invasive, breast cancer, and it's the earliest stage: stage 0. It's usually treated, because it can become invasive over time. Treatment ranges from a lumpectomy, often with radiation, to mastectomy.
Wanda Sykes
Diagnosed 2011
Her cancer was found in lab work after a breast reduction, not by a mammogram. It was DCIS. Because of a family history on her mother's side that she hadn't known about, she chose to have both breasts removed rather than be checked every few months.
Source: ABC News, 2011
Sandra Lee
Diagnosed 2015, at 48
The cooking host's DCIS was found on a routine mammogram. She had a double mastectomy and later reconstruction, then pushed for New York's 2016 law that made it easier to get screened, and made an HBO documentary about early detection.
Source: AP, 2015; WebMD, 2018
Subtype
What is triple-negative breast cancer, and which celebrities have had it?
Breast cancer cells are tested for three things: estrogen receptors, progesterone receptors and a protein called HER2. Triple-negative means all three tests came back negative. That matters because hormone therapy and HER2 drugs don't work on it, so chemotherapy does more of the work. It's about 10 to 15% of breast cancers, tends to grow faster than most types, and is more common in women under 40, Black women and people with a BRCA1 gene change.
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Robin Roberts
Diagnosed 2007
The Good Morning America anchor found a lump herself. Her mammogram came back clear; an ultrasound found the tumor. She had surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. In 2012 she was diagnosed with a bone marrow disease (MDS) that she has linked to her earlier chemo, and her sister donated bone marrow. She has campaigned for more people, especially Black donors, to join the bone marrow registry.
Source: ABC News, 2007; CURE, 2018
Joan Lunden
Diagnosed 2014
The former Good Morning America host had stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer. Her 3D mammogram was clear; an ultrasound the same day found it. She'd just reported a story on dense breasts, so she knew to ask. She has spent the years since telling women to find out their breast density.
Source: ABC7 New York, 2024
Type
What is invasive lobular carcinoma, and which celebrities have had it?
Cancer that starts in the lobules, the glands that make milk, and spreads into nearby tissue. It's about 10 to 15% of diagnoses. Its cells tend to grow in single-file lines instead of a lump, so it can be harder to feel and harder to see on a mammogram. Changes like thickening or dimpled skin are worth mentioning to a doctor.
Rita Wilson
Diagnosed 2015, at 58
Her doctors had been watching a precancerous condition in her breast. The first pathology report on her biopsy showed no cancer. She got a second opinion, and it found invasive lobular carcinoma. She had a double mastectomy and reconstruction, and has urged people to get second opinions ever since.
Source: CBS News, 2015
Subtype
What is luminal B breast cancer, and which celebrity has had it?
Most breast cancers, about 3 in 4, are hormone receptor-positive, meaning they grow in response to estrogen or progesterone. Doctors split them further into groups. Luminal B is the faster-growing group: hormone receptor-positive, plus either HER2-positive or showing a high rate of cell growth. It's usually treated with hormone therapy and chemotherapy, and with HER2 drugs when it's HER2-positive.
Olivia Munn
Diagnosed 2023, announced 2024
She'd tested negative on a genetic panel of about 90 genes, including BRCA, and had a normal mammogram. Then her gynecologist calculated her lifetime breast cancer risk score: 37%. That led to an MRI, an ultrasound and a biopsy, which found luminal B cancer in both breasts. She had a double mastectomy, and later her uterus and ovaries removed. Her ask: have your doctor calculate your risk score.
Source: NBC News, 2024; University of Colorado Cancer Center, 2024
Stage
Which celebrities have had early-stage breast cancer without sharing the type?
Early-stage usually means stage 1 or 2: the cancer is in the breast, and perhaps a few nearby lymph nodes, and hasn't spread to distant organs. Plenty of people never share their subtype, or their stage. They don't owe anyone that. What their stories show is how differently cancer gets found.
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Christina Applegate
Diagnosed 2008, at 36
Her breasts were too dense for a mammogram alone, so her doctor added MRIs. One was clear; the next, three months later, found cancer. After learning she carried a BRCA1 gene change, she chose a double mastectomy. She went on to found Right Action for Women, which helps pay for MRI screening for women at high risk.
Source: ABC News, 2013; WebMD, 2010
Kylie Minogue
Diagnosed 2005, at 36
She postponed a world tour for surgery and chemotherapy. She has said a doctor told her everything was fine at a check-up shortly before, and has urged people to trust their instincts. After her news, mammogram bookings rose in Australia, a jump that became known as the Kylie effect.
Source: AARP, 2026
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Sarah Ferguson
Diagnosed 2023, at 63
No symptoms: an early breast cancer showed up on a routine mammogram. She had a mastectomy and reconstruction. Moles removed during reconstruction were tested, and one turned out to be melanoma, which she announced in 2024. Her message: keep your screening appointments, and get your skin checked.
Source: NBC Washington / E! News, 2024
Tig Notaro
Diagnosed 2012
The comedian had stage 2 cancer in both breasts, found in tests after a serious illness, in the same months her mother died. She had a double mastectomy and turned that stretch into a now-famous stand-up set.
Source: NPR Fresh Air, 2012
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Julia Louis-Dreyfus
Diagnosed 2017, at 56
She announced stage 2 breast cancer with a line about the numbers: one in eight women get breast cancer, and this time she was the one. She used it to argue for universal health care. She has said she had six rounds of chemotherapy while making Veep.
Source: Fortune, 2017; ET, 2019
Lara Stone
Diagnosed 2026; stage and type not shared
The Dutch supermodel announced on Instagram at the end of Breast Cancer Awareness Month that she was in treatment, calling it “a huge shock” and saying she was grateful it was found early. She hasn’t shared her stage, subtype or treatment. Her post carried one plain instruction: “Check your breasts it could save your life.”
Source: Brit Brief, 2026; Daily Front Row, 2026
Stage 4
What is metastatic breast cancer, and which celebrities have had it?
Breast cancer that has spread beyond the breast and nearby lymph nodes to distant parts of the body, such as the bones, lungs, liver or brain. It can be the first diagnosis, or it can come back years after earlier treatment. It's treated, often for years, but it isn't considered curable today.
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Shannen Doherty
Diagnosed 2015; stage 4 in 2020
Her first diagnosis had reached one lymph node. She had a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiation, and was in remission by 2017. In 2020 she announced it was back as stage 4. She talked openly about living with it, including on her podcast, saying people with stage 4 are very much alive and active. She died in July 2024, at 53.
Source: TODAY, 2024
Who gets it
Can men get breast cancer, and which famous men have had it?
Men have breast tissue too. Fewer than 1% of breast cancers in the U.S. are in men, about 2,670 diagnoses expected in 2026, most often in men in their 60s and 70s.
Richard Roundtree
Diagnosed 1993
The Shaft star found a lump in his right breast and had a mastectomy and chemotherapy. He kept it private for about five years, afraid he'd stop getting work, then became a spokesman on breast cancer in men. He died in 2023, at 81, of pancreatic cancer.
Source: CURE, 2007; AP, 2023
After treatment
What is lymphedema, and which celebrity has spoken about it?
Not a type of breast cancer, but one of its longest-lasting side effects. When lymph nodes are removed or treated with radiation, fluid can build up and make the arm or hand swell, sometimes months or years later. It can be managed with specialist therapy and compression garments.
Kathy Bates
Diagnosed 2012
The actor had a double mastectomy with 19 lymph nodes removed, then developed lymphedema in her arms. She wears compression sleeves and has become a spokesperson for the Lymphatic Education & Research Network.
Source: CBS News, 2016
Why this guide doesn't yet include a celebrity with HER2-positive breast cancer
About 15 to 20% of breast cancers are HER2-positive: the cells make too much of a protein called HER2, which helps them grow. They tend to grow faster, but they respond well to drugs that target HER2. Few public figures have named this subtype, and we only include what people have said themselves.
Every story here is one person's. Your type, your stage and your treatment are yours, and your care team is the best place to talk them through. If you're newly diagnosed, our mastectomy explainer and Resources are good next stops.
Medical sources: American Cancer Society, Types of Breast Cancer, Triple-negative Breast Cancer, Hormone Receptor Status, HER2 Status, Stages of Breast Cancer and Key Statistics for Breast Cancer in Men; Breastcancer.org, Invasive Lobular Carcinoma; City of Hope, Luminal B Breast Cancer. Photos are used under the licenses shown with each image and do not imply endorsement of Babette or any partner.
