Published Mar 30, 2020

Actress Survivor Rita Wilson Is Celebrating The Beauty Of Life On Her Five Year Anniversary Of Being Cancer Free

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Actress and breast cancer survivor, Rita Wilson, has something to celebrate even amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Wilson, 63, shared a heartwarming message on Instagram announcing that March 29 marked her five-year anniversary of being cancer-free after undergoing a bilateral mastectomy. According to Wilson, she was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer while starring in comedian Larry David’s Broadway production A Fish In The Dark, and took a leave from the performance in order to have surgery. During her five years of being cancer free, Wilson was honored with a star on Hollywood Walk of Fame, released her fourth studio album Halfway to Home, and is still making music.

“I am celebrating the beauty of this life, the blessings God has given, and my continued good health, even now as a COVID 19 survivor,” Wilson wrote. “Please take a moment today to acknowledge the amazing creation your bodies are and to thank it for doing so much”

In addition to her battle with breast cancer, Wilson has also been impacted firsthand by the coronavirus pandemic. During a trip to Australia, Wilson and her husband Tom Hanks announced that they had tested positive for Covid-19, and were self-isolating while being taken care of by a medical team.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B-VOAsfnhwo/

Rita Wilson’s Battle With Breast Cancer

In 2015, Wilson was diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer, which is a non-invasive early cancer that is highly treatable. Following the diagnosis, Wilson underwent a bilateral mastectomy a surgery done to prevent breast cancer for women who are at high risk.

Stage zero breast cancer, also known as Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS), is diagnosed by abnormal cells in the breast duct, but they do not invade other parts of the breast. However, if it goes untreated, it may evolve into an invasive form of cancer.

“Stage zero breast cancer is in and of itself not necessarily going to turn into that invasive breast cancer, and so many have questioned ‘well do we actually really need to do surgery on something that may or may not turn into a problem?'” Dr. Ann Partridge, a medical oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet.

Dr. Partridge tells SurvivorNet that researchers have started running complimentary clinical trials to determine the best treatment for stage zero breast cancer. For some participants, they will undergo standard procedures such as radiation and hormones while other participants will go through active surveillance to see if the mammogram changes with no treatment.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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