Rebecca Crews has recently opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis.
The 55-year-old actress and singer told Health that she felt something wrong before she was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer last year. She said, “I just kept having this strong feeling.”
Crews then went for scans. Her mammogram was clear, but an ultrasound revealed a growth that needed to be biopsied.
She said she knew how to proceed if she is diagnosed with cancer.
The songwriter said, “I had this thought: ‘Rebecca, what if they do find something? Be radical. Cut it off. Don’t play.’ Three days later, they called me with the news that it was cancer.”
Crews stuck with her intuition and had a double mastectomy.
She told Health, “I had a good handle on…what I’m going to do. I, right away, made appointments with the surgeons. Within a month, I was in surgery. They got everything out. My reconstruction went off without a hitch.”
Crews recovered well and now she is cancer-free.
The Blueberry actress has credited her access to healthcare with helping her survive her cancer. She said, “I’m very fortunate that when this happened to me I had very good insurance. Ten years ago, that would not have been the case.”
Crews feels thankful her cancer was detected and treated early. She also said that her diagnosis taught her the importance of staying up-to-date on recommended cancer screenings.
“As women, we don’t take care of ourselves like we should,” the star continued. “We’re so consumed with looking out for everyone else.”
Crews is happy to share her story to encourage other women to get screened for breast cancer as recommended. She said, “Just get a mammogram every year or go to a free screening.” The story was published on Health.
