Written By: Kriti Saraswat | Updated : June 11, 2014 6:44 PM IST
The dreaded 'C' word can bring about fear even in the healthiest of people and all hell can break loose when your doctor informs you that you are suffering from it. Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie underwent double mastectomy to minimise the risk of breast cancer. But she isn't the only one who's spoken about her illness in public. Here are 10 other celebrities who put up a strong fight against cancer and came out victorious.
Yuvraj Singh
Yuvraj Singh, the man who hit six sixes in a row, left his fans shattered when he announced he was suffering from cancer. He underwent treatment in the US and often posted updates and photos on social networking sites. While he was battling against this dreaded disease, his fans and perhaps the entire nation joined their hands in unison to pray for his quick recovery. He suffered from a malignant tumour known as seminoma which was found between his lung and heart. But Yuvi was victorious in this battle and came back with a roar. He's been active on the field and also wrote a book about his struggle with cancer The Test of My Life.
Manisha Koirala
Last year, Manisha Koirala of 'Dil Se' fame, fell unconscious and was admitted in a city hospital. After some tests, it was found that the 42-year-old actress was suffering from ovarian cancer. Her treatment took place in New York and she put up a good fight against the disease. She recently posted pictures of herself after her chemo sessions and is raring to come back and start shooting for films. Her doctors too have allowed her to do so as part of her healing process. Her strength and will power have inspired many.
Lisa Ray
Lisa Ray, who made headlines when she donned a high-cut swimsuit for a commercial two decades ago, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (a cancer of plasma cells) in 2009. Though she kept mum about it during her treatment, she gave interviews and blogged about it post her recovery talking at length about her experience and adopting a positive attitude towards her struggle. She recently got married too in California and showed the world that cancer could not hold her back from doing anything.
Anurag Basu
Anurag Basu, the famed director of Barfi was suffering from acute promyelocytic leukemia a type of blood cancer in 2004. But rather than getting pessimistic about it, he did not let it affect his life and behaved as if he suffered from a common cold and not cancer even though doctors predicted that his chances of survival were only 50 per cent. He even wrote the scripts of Life in a Metro and Gangster during this time and directed some parts of Tumsa Nahi Dekha from the hospital. He put up a brave face throughout his ordeal and came out of it as if nothing ever happened.
Kylie Minogue
Australian pop singer Kylie Minogue, who also sang and starred in the song 'Chiggy Wiggy' in Blue, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 in the middle of her concert tour. After her treatment, she made a comeback with Showgirl: The Homecoming Tour. The disease left a great impact on her and she made it a point to spread awareness about early detection through regular check-ups as much as she could. For this, she was even awarded an honorary Doctor of Health Science (D.H.Sc.) degree by Anglia Ruskin University, UK.
Mumtaz
Legendry actress Mumtaz who started out as a child actor with Sone ki Chidiya and gave up acting at the age of 26, also suffered from breast cancer. But despite her illness and numerous chemo sessions, she won the battle against cancer at 54. Even that age, she was keen to get back in shape and shed all the extra kilos she had piled on during her treatment. She used to gym, swim, and follow a strict diet to attain her pre-cancer days figure. Now 65, Mumtaz still has that yesteryear's charm that she wooed everyone with.
Barbara Mori
Barbara Mori made her Bollywood debut with Hrithik Roshan in Kites. The film didn't go down so well with the audience but Barbara was often in the news. But many still don't know that she is a cancer survivor. She was diagnosed with cancer in its early stage. Barbara later appeared in a documentary 1 a Minute where she talked about her survival against cancer.
Cynthia Nixon
Cynthia who is famous for her portrayal of the character Miranda Hobbes in Sex and the City was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006 during a routine mammogram. Though initially she was sceptical about letting the media know about her illness, she decided to go public with it years later in 2008 at a television show. Since then, she she's been active in spreading awareness about breast cancer and is the ambassador for Susan G Komen for the Cure a non-profit breast cancer organisation in the US.
Christina Applegate
You may remember her as Rachel's (Jennifer Aniston) spoilt sister Amy Green from the popular sitcom Friends. Christina Applegate, an American actress underwent double mastectomy (removal of breasts) after she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008. Though her cancer was detected in the early stages and only in one breast, she still opted for double mastectomy as her mother too suffered from it and she had an inherited gene mutation which increased her risks, same as in the case of Angelina Jolie.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
Devika Bhojwani
Devika Bhojwani is the vice president of Women's Cancer Initiative. She survived breast cancer herself before starting this initiative. While dealing with it, she kept her thoughts positive and healed herself using reiki and chants. She came to know about her cancer at an early stage when she saw a sign for mammography in a hospital and decided to take it. Her initiative is in Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and it helps raise awareness and funds for breast cancer.
Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer.
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