Actress Christina Applegate Survives Breast Cancer with Double Mastectomy and Founds Right Action for Women Foundation

Christina Applegate has been in television and movies from the young age of 3 months old. Over the years she has been seen on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, in commercials for Playtex baby bottles, and in one of her most notable roles as Kelly Bundy on the the sitcom Married...with Children. Her most recent television role includes that of Samantha on the television series Samantha Who?.She is a smart, funny, blonde bombshell and a breast cancer survivor.

At the age of 36, Applegate was diagnosed with having the BRCA1 breast cancer gene after finding lumps in one of her breasts. A month after her diagnosis she underwent a double mastectomy to cut all the cancer out and prevent it from coming back. According to her interview with ABC's Robin Roberts (another famous breast cancer survivor) she felt the double mastectomy was her only logical choice of treatment despite the cancer only being found in one breast. Applegate said in the interview, "My decision, after looking at all the treatment plans that were possibilities for me, the only one that seemed the most logical and the one that was going to work for me was to have a bilateral mastectomy."

She then underwent 8 months of breast reconstruction surgery. Before her breast cancer diagnosis she was a staunch supporter of breast cancer research and fought to raise awareness about the disease because of her mother's long fight with the disease. Applegate's mother is also a breast cancer survivor. The young celebrity has become even more embroiled in the fight against breast cancer by starting her own foundation.

The test that discovered Christina's breast cancer was a special MRI machine that can detect cancerous cells before a tumor is formed. This form of breast cancer testing is expensive and so it the testing to find out if you have the BRCA1 breast cancer gene. In an effort to help women survive and fight against this cancer the foundation raises money to help women who are at high-risk pay for these tests that often are not covered by regular medical insurance.

Applegate's foundation is called Right Action for Women- Christina Applegate Foundation. She participated in Lee National Denim Day on October 8, 2010 and has appeared on the Stand Up to Cancer telethon. Her activism and charity work go far beyond just raising awareness about breast cancer. Her other charity work includes support of A Day Made Better, Spirit of Women Health Network, Adopt-a-Classroom, and World Society for the Protection of Animals.

Other celebrities who have joined Christina Applegate in surviving breast cancer include Robin Roberts, Olivia Newton-John, Jaclyn Smith, Kylie Minogue, Sheryl Crow, Suzanne Somers, Melissa Etheridge, and Edie Falco.

Sources:
ABC Interview with Christina Applegate
Right Action for Women
Lee National Denim Day