Rita Wilson has written about her breast cancer and double mastectomy in a statement for People magazine. The 58-year-old actor has also spoken about her post-operation recovery and support from her husband Tom Hanks.
“Last week, with my husband by my side, and with the love and support of family and friends, I underwent a bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction for breast cancer after a diagnosis of invasive lobular carcinoma. I am recovering and most importantly, expected to make a full recovery. Why? Because I caught this early, have excellent doctors and because I got a second opinion.”
The star of films including Runaway Bride and Sleepless in Seattle and TV’s The Good Wife and Girls has taken leave from Larry David’s play Fish in the Dark to recover. In the statement, Wilson details how she went to a second expert opinion after an initial pathology showed no cancer.
“I share this to educate others that a second opinion is critical to your health. You have nothing to lose if both opinions match up for the good, and everything to gain if something that was missed is found, which does happen. Early diagnosis is key.
“I feel blessed to have a loving, supportive husband, family, friends and doctors and that I am the beneficiary of advances in the field of breast cancer and reconstruction. I am getting better every day and look forward to renewed health.
“I hope this will encourage others to get a second opinion and to trust their instincts if something doesn’t ‘feel’ right.”
The news follows Angelina Jolie’s op-ed in the New York Times in 2013 where she detailed her preventative double mastectomy. She has since gone on to speak about the specifics behind her decision.
