Good Morning America cohost Robin Roberts was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007 and has emphasized the importance of breast self-exams and regular mammograms ever since. She opened up about her experience to Prevention in 2011.
"I had a doctor's appointment [with a new physician] already scheduled when I found the lump. And, full disclosure, the last mammogram I had was in 2003 or 2004, so I'd gone a few years without having one," Roberts told the publication. "I called the doctor's office and said, 'Hey, I found a lump — can you move up the exam?' They said, 'No, we're booked solid.' And I'm thinking to myself, 'Wow, this really happens.' I reached out to Diane [Sawyer] and [ABC colleague] Deborah Roberts. Deborah gave me a referral." Eventually, Roberts was diagnosed with breast cancer, specifically a triple-negative tumor, and had a lumpectomy and partial mastectomy, in addition to chemotherapy.
After beating breast cancer, Roberts was then diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), a rare blood disorder that affects the bone marrow, in 2012, per ABC News. Luckily, her sister Sally-Ann was a perfect match, and she underwent a successful bone marrow transplant that year.
