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| Christina Applegate Photo © Fredrick M. Brown/Getty Images |
Christina Applegate has joined the ranks of celebrity mothers-to-be. Appearing visibly pregnant at the premiere of her new movie, "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore" Applegate looked happy and confident, if a little queasy. The actress known for her TV show "Samantha Who?" is engaged to Martyn Lenoble, a bassist rock musician and founding member of the band Porno for Pyros. A pregnancy after breast cancer treatment does not increase the risk of a recurrence.
Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2008 and chose to have a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction. She was very open about her diagnosis, having seen her mother survive breast and cervical cancer, as well as testing positive for the the BRCA1 gene mutation. The actress had a lumpectomy on each breast, and when her diagnosis was clear, she opted for prophylactic mastectomies to prevent a recurrence. Applegate took part in the television special "Stand Up to Cancer," and recently launched her own cancer charity for women who can't afford proper preventative care, "Right Action For Women."
Christina Applegate's cancer charity will help provide funds for low-income women who are at high risk for breast cancer. Mammograms, breast MRIs and genetic testing are valuable detection tools, but their cost is not always covered by a woman's health insurance. Applegate credits a breast MRI with helping to find her cancer early and save her life.
It is good to see Christina looking so healthy and well. Her pregnancy gives hope to younger women like myself who have been diagnosed with breast cancer but still desire to start a family.
Christina is giving me hope. I’ve recently found out about my own breast cancer diagnosis, and might very well end up doing double mastectomies because of numerous breast issues in the past few months (lumpectomy of phyllodes on left, DCIS cancer in right). I’m only 29, and I have no children. I have so many questions about having children after this diagnosis. I thank Christina about being so open about her breast cancer, and life after. It gives me great hope. I hope to be beyond the stress of this diagnosis sooner than later.