“I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I’m cancer-free.”
Cobie Smulders, best known for her role as Robin on How I Met Your Mother, has revealed she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer at the age of 25.
Smulders, now 33, says she found out while How I Met Your Mother was in its prime success.
“I had tumors on both ovaries,” Smulders told Women’s Health.
“And the cancer had spread into my lymph nodes and surrounding tissues.”
The following years were made up of many surgeries to remove the tumors, while still working successfully as an actress.
Related: Rita Wilson has breast cancer and has undergone a double mastectomy.
“I don’t think I’ll ever feel like I’m cancer-free,” she said.
“Now that I’m five years out, I’m trying to think of it as positive thing and what can I learn from it. And if I can create more awareness, I’ll do it.”
Ovarian cancer was the most common cause of death from any gynecological cancer in 2011, with 908 Australian women losing their lives to this disease. Almost 1500 Australian women were diagnosed last year, according to Cancer Australia.
While the average age of developing ovarian cancer is 64.4 years, Smulders is proof you can be very young and otherwise healthy yet still contract the cancer.
Symptons of ovarian cancer include abdominal pain, bloating, frequent need to urinate and feeling full after eating little. If you are concerned, see a doctor. You can find more out about symptoms and statistics by clicking here.
Top Comments
Thank you for this story, it is so important to highlight the difficulties with diagnosing ovarian cancer. Disclaimer, I am an ambassador for the Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation (OCRF) and awareness and fundraising for them is a passion of mine.
If you want to support research to find an early detection test, right now Witchery are selling a special range of white shirts will gross proceeds going to the Ovarian Cancer Support Foundation. Next Friday 1 May is White Shirt Day, the culmination of the campaign.
If you are in Canberra, I'm hosting a fundraising cocktail party next Friday. It is going to be a great night, drinks, canapes, live music, the chance to win some fab prizes all for just $40. All the details are at: www.whiteshirtdaycocktails....