One in every eight women is diagnosed with cancer in the United States including Fox News’ very own fighters Gerri Willis and Jackie DeAngelis, who shared their stories with “Fox & Friends Weekend” as part of breast cancer awareness month.
FOX Business anchor and reporter Gerri Willis was first diagnosed with Stage 3 lobular breast cancer in 2016. She described the strain as a “weird kind” that’s hard to pick up with a mammogram – but after showing physical signs, Willis got tested and came back positive.
“My right nipple was inverted and that’s what happens if you do get breast cancer and it does start to display signs,” she warned. “You can see that; you can see discharges.”
More than 250,000 people will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the U.S. this year alone, so Willis stressed the importance for women to get regular mammograms. During the coronavirus pandemic, according to Willis, there was about an 87% drop in screenings and there’s a possibility that about 80 million cases of cancer have been missed.
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“If you’re out there today – you’re worried, you’re concerned and you’re afraid to go get that mammo – do it anyway,” she said. “If not for you, for your family.”
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Fellow FOX Business correspondent Jackie DeAngelis was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in June 2021 after a routine mammogram. DeAngelis had a double mastectomy and returned to work only 13 days later, and is anticipating a second procedure on Monday.
DeAngelis’ doctors said her masses were nearly invisible and described them as corn flakes crushed in a bag like “grains of sand.” The FBN host revealed she didn’t have any history of breast cancer in her family and didn’t have the BRCA gene.
“Part of my message, and sitting here with these beautiful women, is to say if it could happen to us, it could happen to you,” she said. “Cancer does not discriminate.”
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DeAngelis recommended visiting websites like bcpp.org for more information on ways to help prevent the disease, such as exercising more regularly, changing your diet, and reducing alcohol consumption.
“Outnumbered” co-host and former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany was never diagnosed with breast cancer but ran an 84% risk of developing the disease since eight women in her family had already been diagnosed, some passing away in their late 20s.
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McEnany’s mother was first to find out she was a carrier of the BRCA-2 gene and took precautionary – and at the time radical – measures by receiving a double mastectomy. McEnany followed her mother’s lead.
“I looked at her and I saw a strong hero who had taken control of her health,” she said.
After testing positive and keeping 10 years of surveillance on the matter, including multiple scares, McEnany decided to receive a double mastectomy as well.
“I’m so happy with the way I look,” she said. “I had a nipple-sparing mastectomy. I look beautiful, I feel strong and it’s the best decision I ever made.”
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“I was done feeling scared,” she added. “Now I live life free of fear and full of hope.”
