In 2011, while undergoing breast reduction surgery, actress and comedian Wanda Sykes received some unsettling news: She had breast cancer. “Emotionally, it’s scary, you know, any type of diagnosis of cancer. It’s scary and it’s daunting,” she recounted to Know Your Value.
Thankfully, doctors detected the disease early. The then-47-year-old was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer, otherwise known as Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). But the fear the disease could eventually advance, coupled with a family history of breast cancer, led Sykes to choose to undergo a double mastectomy.
“There were days when, you know, I’d look at myself in the mirror,” said Sykes. “And when you see the scars, it’s like, ‘My god, What’s going on? What have I gone through?’” She said it was the women in her life, who had also been diagnosed with breast cancer, who helped her through her own diagnosis and recovery.
Sykes noted that some of those women were in the later stages of cancer, and that she even lost friends to the disease. “It was heartbreaking, and it’s scary that my community and group was that big,” she said.
Avoiding a mammogram? High heels and waxing are more painful.
The chances of knowing someone who has battled breast cancer is high. One in eight women in the United States will be diagnosed with breast cancer, and it’s now the second leading cause of cancer deaths in women. And women of color are disproportionately affected. According to data by the American Cancer Society, Black women have a 40 percent higher mortality rate, and Black women under 50 years old have double the mortality rate of white women of the same age.
“I was just very grateful that I was able to catch it so early …Now my chances are, you know, incredibly positive as far as survival,” said Sykes.
This weekend, Sykes will share her story on one of television’s biggest stages to help raise awareness about breast cancer health.
On Sunday, she’ll be part of a Super Bowl ad encouraging early breast cancer screening to an expected audience of over 47 million women. It’s part of a collaboration with pharmaceutical company, Novartis. The ad will also feature singer and actress Hailee Steinfeld. The two urge viewers for “Your Attention, Please” — a campaign by the same name intended to highlight breast cancer risk and how to take action.
The Emmy award-winning comedian, who’s now 60, said she doesn’t take her health for granted and approaches it differently after the diagnosis.
“I do reflect back and say, you know you went through that. And now (being) 60, it’s different now. Little more mileage, you know, on the tires here,” she joked. “I’m doing better as far as what I eat and exercise and so, that does stay in the back of your mind. And you do think about your health and better ways to take care of yourself.”
Ultimately, Sykes credited prioritizing her own breast health for saving her life and hopes that message lands with women of all ages, especially now that around 10 percent of new cases include women under 45 years old. “If I can get the message out that, hey, early detection is important, and to get screened, I’m happy to do that. Because you know, we will save lives.”
Daniela Pierre-Bravo
Daniela Pierre-Bravo is a journalist and author and founder of Acceso Community. She is a co-author of “Earn It” with Mika Brzezinski. Her solo book, “’The Other: How to Own Your Power at Work as a Woman of Color,” is out now. Follow her on X and Instagram @dpierrebravo.