Olivia Munn shares surprising tool that led to breast cancer diagnosis despite doing 'all the tests'
Olivia Munn is opening up about the series of events that led to her shocking breast cancer diagnosis and explained how one online tool ultimately helped save her life.
Olivia Munn is getting real about her breast cancer journey.
The actress opened up about the series of events that led to her shocking diagnosis and explained how one online tool ultimately helped save her life.
"I was walking around thinking that I had no breast cancer," Munn, who had tested negative for the BRCA cancer gene three months prior to her diagnosis in April 2023, told People magazine. "I did all the tests that I knew about."
It was during her annual mammogram in March 2023 that her doctor asked if she knew her lifetime breast cancer risk score, which Munn said she did not. After using a free online tool called a Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment calculator, Munn's doctor calculated her score based on various factors, according to the website, including her age at her first period and her family’s history of breast cancer.
"This risk calculator asks questions about your personal and family history to determine the possibility of developing breast cancer," the website states. "The results will display your 10-year risk and your lifetime risk score."
After Munn scored 37.3% (a score of about 20% is considered high-risk), her doctor ordered an MRI, which revealed a spot in Munn’s right breast, "just a hairline away from my lymph nodes," the actress said.
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An ultrasound detected two more tumors in her right breast, which biopsies confirmed to be stage 1 invasive cancer, People reported. After reviewing her original MRI, a biopsy also confirmed cancer in her left breast.
"You realize cancer doesn’t care who you are; it doesn’t care if you have a baby or if you don’t have time," she told the outlet. "It comes at you, and you have no choice but to face it head-on."
"There’s so much information, and you’re making these huge decisions for the rest of your life," Munn added. "I really tried to be prepared, but the truth is that nothing could prepare me for what I would feel like, what it would look like and how I would handle it emotionally. It was a lot tougher than I expected."
In March, Munn not only revealed her diagnosis to the public, but shared that she had undergone four surgeries in the past 10 months.
During one of her surgeries, doctors also discovered a "tangerine-sized" section of ductal carcinoma in situ, a preinvasive cancer, in her right breast.
"Hearing that news gave me peace that I’d made the right decision," Munn said.
"Surprisingly, I've only cried twice," the TV personality said in an Instagram post in March. "I guess I haven't felt like there was time to cry. My focus narrowed, and I tabled any emotions that I felt would interfere with my ability to stay clearheaded."
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The "Buddy Games" actress decided to keep her diagnosis private in order to "get through some of the hardest parts" before sharing with her fans.
"I've tended to let people see me when I have the energy, when I can get dressed and get out of the house, when I can take my baby boy to the park," she explained. "I've kept the diagnosis and the worry and the recovery and the pain medicine and the paper gowns private."
Munn told People she is experiencing medically-induced menopause due to the hormone suppression therapy she began in November to mitigate future risk of the cancer returning.
"I’m constantly thinking it’s hot, my hair is thinning, and I’m tired a lot," she said.
Ultimately, Munn - who shares 2-year-old son Malcolm with partner John Mulaney - said she is "grateful for the opportunity to fight."
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"It would’ve felt like climbing an iceberg without [John]," Munn said. "I don’t think he had a moment to himself, between being an incredibly hands-on father and going to and from the hospital - taking Malcolm to the park, putting him to nap, driving to Cedars-Sinai, hanging out with me, going home, putting Malcolm to bed, coming back to me. And he did it all happily."
"When I’m with [my son], it’s the only time my brain doesn’t think about being sick," she added. "I’m just so happy with him. And it puts a lot of stuff into perspective. Because if my body changes, I’m still his mom. If I have hot flashes, I’m still his mom. If I lose my hair, I’m still his mom. That’s really what matters the most to me. I get to be here for him."