Amy Robach, the famous ABC reporter and wife of "Melrose Place" actor Andrew Shue, revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer on 'Good Morning America (GMA)' Monday. She also thanked the show for helping her detect the deadly disease early.
In October, Robach had undergone an on-air, live mammogram on the show. Although she was nervous about the test, she got it done and discovered that it was not as scary as she thought it would be. However, after that particular episode, Robach was asked to return for more tests and it was discovered that she had breast cancer, reports The Hollywood Reporter.
Speaking on GMA, the 40-year-old reporter confessed that she had been putting a mammogram off for some time.
"Sitting in that kitchen with Marie Monville, I had cancer and didn't know it. In fact, I would have considered it virtually impossible that I would have cancer. I work out, I eat right, I take care of myself and I have very little family history; in fact, all of my grandparents are still alive," Amy wrote on ABC Online.
She also went on to thank the on-the-show mammogram, which saved her life , and added that getting it detected early was of utmost importance.
"So in the days to follow, if several producers and even Robin Roberts herself hadn't convinced me that doing this on live television would save lives, I would never have been able to save my own."
Amy will undergo a bilateral mastectomy Nov. 14 and will start with reconstructive surgery soon after. However, she is perfectly prepared for the fight that awaits her.
"On Thursday, Nov. 14, I will go into surgery where my doctors will perform a bilateral mastectomy followed by reconstructive surgery. Only then will I know more about what that fight will fully entail, but I am mentally and physically as prepared as anyone can be in this situation."
"I can only hope my story will do the same and inspire every woman who hears it to get a mammogram, to take a self exam. No excuses. It is the difference between life and death," she concluded.
On twitter, she thanked everyone who has been sending her regards and prayers.
Gratitude..For all who have written, tweeted, called, kept me in their prayers. Spread the word, save lives. http://t.co/rrw0NYljLj
— Amy Robach (@arobach) November 11, 2013
According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women. The rate of death due to breast cancer has been declining since the late nineties, largely due to early detection, awareness and also improved treatment.
