- Rita Wilson commemorated ten years of being cancer free in an Instagram post, sharing that she’s “deeply grateful”
- The actress, 68, underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery in 2015 after “invasive” cancer was found
- She shared that she doesn’t “talk about it much,” but posted the anniversary because “it’s important to celebrate good news”
Rita Wilson is commemorating a milestone in her recovery from breast cancer, sharing that she’s “so deeply grateful” to be cancer-free for ten years.
“It’s a celebration for me. March 31st marks 10 years of being cancer free,” Wilson, 68, posted to Instagram on the anniversary. “10 years. And I am so deeply grateful.”
The actress, wearing oversized pink aviator shades and a white zip-up jacket and hat, continued, “I’m so thankful to my doctors. To my friends, to my family. The gratitude is overwhelming. Didn’t always feel this way. And you know that, anybody who’s going through [it, or] who’s survived knows that it’s an up and down, like, hamster wheel. But then you get to this point.”
The Asteroid City actress was 58 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, and as she told PEOPLE exclusively at the time, she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The actress shared that she’d been living with LCIS (lobular carcinoma in situ), and monitoring it “vigilantly” through yearly mammograms and breast MRIs. But “after two surgical breast biopsies, PLCIS (pleomorphic carcinoma in situ) was discovered. I mention this because there is much unknown about PLCIS and it is often found alongside DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ). I was relieved when the pathology showed no cancer.”
But when a friend suggested she get a second opinion, “my gut told me that was the thing to do. A different pathologist found invasive lobular carcinoma. His diagnosis of cancer was confirmed by yet another pathologist.”
As she continued at the time, “I share this to educate others that a second opinion is critical to your health. You have nothing to lose if both opinions match up for the good, and everything to gain if something that was missed is found, which does happen. Early diagnosis is key.”
At the time of her diagnosis, she praised her “loving, supportive husband,” Tom Hanks; Wilson later shared that when she told Hanks she had cancer, “I had a serious discussion with my husband that if anything happens, I wanted him to be super sad for a very long time 😊 and I’d also like a party, a celebration.”
While the singer and producer acknowledged that she doesn’t “talk about it much,” she shared that she was posting about the anniversary because “I think it’s important to celebrate good news.”
“I am thinking of anybody out there who might be going through some difficulties,” Wilson continued. “You’re in my thoughts and prayers. Anyways, God bless you all.”
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