Olivia Munn details ‘terrifying’ Breast Cancer diagnosis, 4 surgeries in 10 months, and medically induced menopause (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
In just the last year, actress Olivia Munn has been diagnosed with had four surgeries, a double mastectomy and medically induced menopause.
When the 43-year-old was first diagnosed with breast cancer, all she thought about was her then 1-year-old son Malcolm, who she shares with partner John Mulaney.
“I was not someone who obsessed over death or was afraid of it in any way,” she told People exclusively. But “having a little baby at home made everything much more terrifying.”
Munn was diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer after tests revealed she had luminal B – a fast-moving, aggressive cancer that was found in both breasts.
The actress was diagnosed about two weeks before she started a new sci-fi film in Germany.
“You realize cancer doesn’t care who you are; it doesn’t care if you have a baby or if you don’t have time,” she said. “It comes at you, and you have no choice but to face it head-on.”
Munn didn’t waste any time, where she soon underwent a lymph node dissection, a nipple delay procedure – which is a surgical procedure that spares the nipples – and a double mastectomy.
“I had amazing doctors, but it was still a negotiation sometimes on what we are doing,” she told People, recalling being told that she could opt for the nipple delay—but didn’t have to. “But I’m glad I did. I want to give myself the best shot of keeping the parts of me that I can keep.”
As previously reported, the “Magic Mike” actress’ diagnosis came totally out of left field because her annual mammogram taken three months prior came back clear and had tested negative for the BRCA cancer gene.
While four out of five types of breast cancer are discovered through mammograms, an estimated 20 percent of breast cancers, like Munn’s, go undetected, according to the National Cancer Institute.
It wasn’t until her annual Pap smear in March 2023, Munn’s OBGYN, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, decided to calculate her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score. The fact that she did saved her life.
The whole thing came about because Aliabadi – who co-hosts the “SHE MD” podcast on women’s health – asked Munn if she knew her lifetime breast cancer risk score. Since Munn didn’t, Aliabadi used a free online tool called a Tyrer-Cuzick risk assessment calculator and based on Munn’s score due to various factors, including her age of her first period and her family’s history of breast cancer, her score was an alarming 37.3 percent.
Anything above a 20 percent score is considered high risk, resulting in additional screening beyond the standard mammogram is likely necessary.
After, Aliabadi ordered an MRI, which revealed a spot in Munn’s right breast that was “just a hairline away from my lymph nodes,” according to Munn.
A subsequent ultrasound detected two more tumors in her right breast, which biopsies confirmed to be stage 1 invasive cancer. Further review of Munn’s original MRI led to a biopsy, confirming cancer in the left breast as well.
A double mastectomy was then recommended to Munn to remove all of the cancer and greatly reduce any further risk.
“There’s so much information, and you’re making these huge decisions for the rest of your life,” Munn said. “I really tried to be prepared, but the truth is that nothing could prepare me for what I would feel like, what it would look like and how I would handle it emotionally. It was a lot tougher than I expected.”
During surgery, doctors also discovered a “tangerine-sized” section of ductal carcinoma in situ, a preinvasive cancer, in her right breast.
“Hearing that news gave me peace that I’d made the right decision,” Munn told People.
After the double vasectomy, the actress waited until early fall to undergo reconstructive surgery so she could rest and let her body recover while keeping the matter off social media.
“Keeping it private for as long as I did allowed me time to fight without any outside noise at all,” she said.
Regarding reconstructive surgery, in a frank discussion, Munn told her doctors exactly what she wanted.
“I know a lot of women want to go bigger, but [I said] go smaller,” Munn recalled. “It’s so important to say what you want out loud—and don’t stop. Even as the anesthesia was making its way into my body, the last thing I said was ‘Please go smaller.’ "
So far, her treatment hasn’t included chemotherapy or radiation but in November, she began hormone suppression therapy to mitigate future risk which led to a medically induced menopause.
“I’m constantly thinking it’s hot, my hair is thinning, and I’m tired a lot,” she said of the symptoms.
But through the incredible hard times, Munn has had Mulaney and her son by her side. The actress also credited her OBGYN and is determined to raise awareness for other women at risk.
“I feel grateful that I was given the opportunity to fight,” Munn said, mentioning that throughout the last year, her son has kept her joyful.
“When I’m with him, it’s the only time my brain doesn’t think about being sick. I’m just so happy with him. And it puts a lot of stuff into perspective. Because if my body changes, I’m still his mom. If I have hot flashes, I’m still his mom. If I lose my hair, I’m still his mom. That’s really what matters the most to me. I get to be here for him.”
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