Tuesday’s announcement by Angelina Jolie, that she elected for a double mastectomy in the face of overwhelming odds that she would develop breast cancer, made headlines around the world. We look back at other luminaries that have gone public with their cancer battles.
When Celebrities Battle Cancer: Photos of 20 Inspiring Survivors
Chris Pizzello / Invision / AP
Edie Falco
“The moment the doctor says, 'We have bad news' is life changing," the Nurse Jackie star told Health magazine, recalling her 2003 breast cancer diagnosis. "I couldn't walk. I couldn't breathe." She originally chose to keep her diagnosis a secret. "It was very important for me to keep my diagnosis under the radar, even from the cast and crew of The Sopranos, because very well-meaning people would have driven me crazy asking, 'How are you feeling?' she said in the 2008 Health interview. "I would have wanted to say, 'I'm scared, I don't feel good, and my hair is falling out’." In the years since her remission, Falco has served as a spokeswoman for the Y-Me Breast Cancer Organization.
