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Olivia Munn had a double mastectomy last year after being diagnosed with an \u201caggressive, fast-moving\u201d form of breast cancer, she announced on Instagram<\/a> Wednesday. She called herself \u201clucky\u201d after a near-miss diagnosis.\u00a0<\/p>\n Women who have mutations in their BRCA1 and\/or BRCA2 genes<\/a> are at increased risk of breast or ovarian cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. Wanting to be proactive about her health, Munn in February 2023 took a genetic test that screened for 90 such cancer genes. She tested negative for all of them, as did her sister Sara, writing, \u201cWe called each other and high-fived over the phone.\u201d<\/p>\n The 43-year-old actress also had a normal mammogram that winter\u2014two months before she was diagnosed with breast cancer.<\/p>\n Munn credited her OB\/GYN and \u201cguardian angel,\u201d Dr. Tha\u00efs Aliabadi<\/a>, with saving her life by recommending the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool (BCRAT)<\/a>: \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have found my cancer for another year\u2014at my next scheduled mammogram.\u201d Also called the Gail Model, the BCRAT can help your doctor estimate both your short-term (within five years) and lifetime (up to age 90) risks of developing the disease.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Aliabadi looked at factors like my age, familial breast cancer history, and the fact that I had my first child after the age of 30,\u201d Munn said on Instagram<\/a>. \u201cShe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Breast cancers typically fall into one of four subtypes, based on whether the cancer cells have an overabundance of the HER2 gene<\/a>, and\/or receptors for estrogen (ER-positive), progesterone (PR-positive), or no hormones (HR-negative). Here\u2019s how the Mayo Clinic<\/a> classifies them:<\/p>\n Munn was diagnosed with luminal B, a subtype the Mayo Clinic<\/a> notes is likely to benefit from chemotherapy and HER2 hormone therapy. Munn said she and her doctor caught the cancer early enough for her to have options. She got a double mastectomy 30 days after her biopsy, and has had a total of four surgeries in the last 10 months.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve kept the diagnosis and the worry and the recovery and the pain medicine and the paper gowns private,\u201d Munn wrote. \u201cI needed to catch my breath and get through some of the hardest parts before sharing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n While the tool is accessible to anyone online<\/a> through the National Cancer Institute (NCI), it\u2019s intended for health care professionals. The assessment includes factors such as:<\/p>\n \u201cAsk your doctor to calculate your Breast Cancer Assessment Score,\u201d Munn said. \u201cDr. Aliabadi says that if the number is greater than 20%, you need annual mammograms and breast MRIs starting at age 30.\u201d<\/p>\n The BCRAT, however, has a number of limitations. For example, it isn\u2019t intended for use in women who have a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Data on American Indian and Alaskan Native women are limited, meaning estimates for these populations may be inaccurate. The NCI also stresses the assessment may underestimate risk for Black women with previous biopsies, and Hispanic women born outside the U.S.<\/p>\n Consult your doctor about whether the BCRAT may adequately assess your risk of breast cancer.<\/p>\n For more on celebrity breast cancer diagnoses:<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Subscribe to Well Adjusted, our newsletter full of simple strategies to work smarter and live better, from the Fortune Well team. <\/span>Sign up<\/span><\/a> for free today.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n
What is the Breast Cancer Risk Assessment Tool?<\/h2>\n
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