Olivia Munn at the 2024 Vanity Fair Oscar Party

Olivia Munn Undergoes Fifth Surgery Amid Breast Cancer Battle

Home / News / Olivia Munn Undergoes Fifth Surgery Amid Breast Cancer Battle

By Afouda Bamidele on May 13, 2024 at 8:00 AM EDT

Olivia Munn's struggles with breast cancer continue as she recently made a life-altering decision.

The "Newsroom" actress, who has been vocal about her health issues, revealed she underwent her fifth surgery in April. Munn's doctors advised her to make the significant change as it could prevent the cancer from returning.

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Olivia Munn Underwent A Full Hysterectomy Amid Breast Cancer Struggles 

Olivia Munn attends the 96th Annual Academy Awards
MEGA

Munn got candid about her latest surgery in an emotional interview, noting that she had undergone a complete hysterectomy amid her breast cancer battle. In her words:

"I have now had an oophorectomy and hysterectomy. I took out my uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries."

As stated, this procedure was recommended to the TV personality because it would stop the production of estrogen — of which luminal B breast cancer feeds and grows. In her interview with Vogue, Munn also stressed that this was the right path to take, saying:

"It was a big decision to make, but it was the best decision for me because I needed to be present for my family."

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The Hysterectomy Marks Munn's Fifth Surgery

The hysterectomy marks Munn's fifth surgery in her cancer journey, as she previously underwent a full double mastectomy, a lymph node dissection, reconstructive surgery, and a nipple delay.

Before undergoing the life-changing procedure, she used Lupron to suppress the estrogen production in her body. However, the drug's side effects kept Munn bedridden with what she described as "next-level, debilitating exhaustion."

"I would wake up in the morning and almost immediately need to get back into bed. If you asked Malcolm, 'Where does daddy work?' He'd run to his desk," she explained, adding:

"And if you asked him, 'Where does mommy work?He'd point to my bed. It was so sweet. But at the same time, it was breaking my heart because this is his image of me."

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The Actress Doesn't Want To Miss Key Moments With Her Family

Munn — who welcomed son Malcolm with John Mulaney in November 2021 — had the best support team to push her through the hysterectomy procedure. Her friends would cheer her up by saying: "'Malcolm's not going to remember this. Don't worry.'"

However, the mother of one didn't share the same sentiments as she didn't want to miss crucial moments with her family, especially her young son. In her words:

"I just kept thinking to myself, 'I'm going to remember this, that I missed all these things.It's his childhood, but it's my motherhood, and I don't want to miss any of these parts if I don't have to."

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The TV Personality Announced Her Cancer Diagnosis In March

Two months before her candid interview, The Blast reported that Munn had opened up about her cancer diagnosis in an emotional post. She shared multiple shots of herself in a hospital gown alongside a statement about her health.

According to the TV personality, she was diagnosed with cancer in February 2023. The journey began after she proactively "took a genetic test that checks you for 90 different cancer genes" and "tested negative for all, including BRA (the most well-known breast cancer gene)."

However, two months after Munn "had a normal mammogram," she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The aftermath of this discovery saw the entertainer undergoing several procedures to stop the terrifying disease; in her words:

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"In the past ten months, I have had four surgeries, so many days spent in bed I can't even count, and have learned more about cancer, cancer treatment, and hormones than I ever could have imagined."

Olivia Munn Was Grateful For Her Early Discovery

Munn expressed gratitude for her OBGYN, Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, whose decision to test her Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Score helped her discover the disease on time.  She wrote:

"She discovered my lifetime risk was at 37%. Because of that score, I was sent to get an MRI, which led to an ultrasound, which then led to a biopsy."

Munn felt "lucky" to have caught the disease when she "had options" to fight against it, and implored other women to take the breast cancer risk assessment test on time.

She doubled down on her post being a motivational message to others in the caption, writing: "I hope by sharing this it will help others find comfort, inspiration, and support on their own journey."

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