Olivia Munn shares breast cancer diagnosis and double mastectomy procedure
Munn was diagnosed with breast cancer last year but kept the matter quiet until now
In an Instagram post that includes photographs of her treatment and double mastectomy, Olivia Munn revealed that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last April. Over the past 10 months, Munn writes she received four surgeries but opted to keep her medical status private because she “needed to catch [her] breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing.”
“In the past ten months, I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can’t even count and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment and hormones than I ever could have imagined,” she continued in the post. “Surprisingly, I’ve only cried twice. I guess I haven’t felt like there was time to cry.”
Munn, 43, discovered her cancer following a routine mammogram in April 2023. However, she wouldn’t have found the cancer had her doctor not calculated her risk Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score. Before that, Munn, “in an effort to be proactive about [her] health,” took a “genetic test that checks you for 90 cancer genes,” including BRCA, the most common breast cancer gene. 30 days later, she had a double mastectomy, going from “feeling completely fine one day, to waking up in a hospital bed after a 10-hour surgery the next.” Munn says the OBGYN who told her to get an MRI and a biopsy saved her life.
Munn’s romantic partner, comedian John Mulaney, commented on her post, writing, “Thank you for fighting so hard to be here for us. [our son] Malc and I adore you.”
Munn encouraged followers to get checked for breast cancer. “We caught it with enough time that I had options. I want the same for any woman who might have to face this one day. Ask your doctor to calculate your breast cancer score,” she wrote. “If the number is greater than 20%, you need annual mammograms and breast MRIs starting at age 30.”