After Christina Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008, she made the difficult yet life-saving decision to get a double mastectomy. Since then, she's been vocal about her experience and even founded the Right Action for Women (RAW) foundation, which provides financial resources for women to get essential breast screenings.
Now, the actress, who's best known for Married with Children and Anchorman, has taken yet another step to protect her health and prevent another cancer diagnosis. In an interview with Today, Applegate disclosed that she had removed her ovaries and fallopian tubes.
"You're the first person I'm telling this," she said. "Two weeks ago, I had my ovaries and tubes removed. My cousin passed away from ovarian cancer in 2008. I could prevent that. That's how I've taken control of everything. It's a relief. That's one other thing off the table. Now, let's hope I don't get hit by a bus."
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According to the American Cancer Society, 1 in 75 women are at risk of getting ovarian cancer throughout their lifetimes. While the number of women diagnosed is decreasing overall, the American Cancer Society estimates that 22,44o women will be diagnosed with the disease in 2017 and 14,080 will die.
In addition to getting regular medical exams, Applegate suggested that people can protect their health by eating better.
"The first thing is to be really diligent about what you’re putting into your body, as far as what kind of food you’re eating," she said. "Organic is expensive. I get that. I don’t want to alienate anyone who can’t pay for that. But maybe skip your morning latte and get organic vegetables for the week. Try to stay away from the foods that are filled with chemicals."
She also said that everyone should be more conscious of reducing their stress levels, though she admits that it's easier said than done.
"We're living in a bizarre time. We're bombarded by what's going on in our world," she said. "Breathe deeper. That's a big one for me. I used to be a stressed out person. I'm not anymore. I try to find the lining in everything in life."