Cancer Survivor Christina Applegate Gets Preventive Surgery

Breast cancer survivor Christina Applegate is taking charge of her health in quite the proactive way.

The actress recently reported that she had her ovaries and her fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure.

After being diagnosed with breast cancer nine years ago, Applegate underwent a double mastectomy. Earlier this month, the Married with Children star went further and had follow-up surgery to mitigate the risk of more cancer.

The 45-year-old actress reports, “My mother is also a breast cancer survivor. I underwent genetic testing and learned I have a mutation in the BRCA 1 gene, making me more susceptible to breast and ovarian cancer.”

Applegate, founder of her Right Action For Women foundation that provides assistance to women at increased risk for breast cancer, says, “Today, more than 250,000 women under the age of 40 in the U.S. are breast cancer survivors. I am lucky to be one of them.”

Because she tested positive for the rare BRCA 1 gene mutation, this anti-cancer activist decided to lessen her risks for getting ovarian cancer, which is often discovered far too late for survival. Her cousin died of the disease in 2008, so ovarian cancer truly hits home.

While guesting on NBC’s Today show last week, Applegate talked about her latest surgery, saying, “That’s how I’ve taken control of everything. It’s a relief. That’s one other thing off the table.

Then she added with a smile, “Now, let’s hope I don’t get hit by a bus.”