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Ashley Chan, assistant editor for CURE®, has been with MJH Life Sciences since June 2023. She graduated with a B.A. in Communication Studies from Rowan University. Outside of work, Ashley enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading new novels by Asian American authors, and working on the manuscript of her New Adult novel.
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From Olivia Munn opening up about undergoing a hysterectomy and egg retrieval to Michael McDonald’s learned lesson after his wife’s cancer, here’s what’s going on in the oncology space this week.
Actress Olivia Munn recently spoke with Vogue about her decision to undergo a hysterectomy and freeze her eggs.
A hysterectomy is a procedure to surgically removes the uterus, meaning an individual can no longer become pregnant or menstruate, according to Cleveland Clinic.
Munn opened up about her decision to freeze her eggs, and noted that she and her husband, John Mulaney, “weren’t done growing our family.”
Munn said her decision was because her family was the driving force. The surgery would allow her to stop taking a hormonal therapy, Lupron, that caused her to feel “next-level, debilitating exhaustion.” Lupron is used to prevent breast cancer from returning after treatment, according to the American Cancer Society.
Munn emphasized that the impact of her breast cancer diagnosis influenced the way she views her motherhood and her two-year old son’s childhood.
Munn told “Good Morning America” on May 16 that her decision to document her cancer experience was so her son could see that she “fought to be here.”
“If I didn’t make it, I wanted my son when he got older to know that I fought to be here. That I tried my best. You want the people in your life, you want the people that maybe don't understand what's going on right to know that you did everything you could to be here."
Kimberly Nix, a resident doctor and TikToker who shared her experience with metastatic sarcoma, died of the disease. She was 31 years old and underwent palliative treatments.
"In 2021, I got the opportunity to start making TikTok videos and I never thought that these would become anything. My goal was to spread awareness about sarcoma cancer, and we have been a successful team. We have reached great heights in sarcoma awareness," she said in the video, which was shared to her follower base of more than 163,000 accounts.
Nix was diagnosed with metastatic sarcoma in 2021 when she was 28 years old. She underwent six lines of therapy — including experimental treatments — for her disease, according to the video.
"I shared about going through the various challenges of cancer and how we overcame them and I shared about love and joy and gratitude, because in this journey being grateful with people in the little moments, those little parts of your day like that warm first sip of tea in the morning or how it feels when the snow is fresh on your face, are the most beautiful,” she said.
Michael McDonald, the pianist/keyboardist of the rock band, The Doobie Brothers, discussed his wife’s cancer experience in his upcoming memoir, “What a Fool Believes.” His wife, Grammy-nominated singer Amy Holland, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995.
"I remember at the bleakest part of that whole thing, realizing that my wife and I were discovering what it means to love somebody else in ways that we might have never discovered it any other way," he said in the book, according to People. "And although I wouldn't want to go through it again for any reason, I am grateful for those lessons...We came to realize how much we did care for each other and how much we did admire each other."
Saxophonist David Sanborn died of prostate cancer complications on May 12. The Grammy award-winning musician received his diagnosis in 2018.
“It is with sad and heavy hearts that we convey to you the loss of internationally renowned, six-time Grammy Award-winning, saxophonist, David Sanborn,” a statement on Sanborn’s social media accounts said. “Mr. Sanborn passed Sunday afternoon, May 12, after an extended battle with prostate cancer with complications.”
Until recently, Sanborn was still performing.
“Indeed, he already had concerts scheduled into 2025,” a statement from his publicist said. “David Sanborn was a seminal figure in contemporary pop and jazz music. It has been said that he ‘put the saxophone back into Rock ’n Roll.’”
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