Los Angeles: Rita Wilson, the actress and wife of actor Tom Hanks, said she underwent a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery after being diagnosed with an invasive form of breast cancer.
"I am recovering and most importantly, expected to make a full recovery. Why? Because I caught this early, have excellent doctors and because I got a second opinion," the 58-year-old said in a statement given to People magazine on Tuesday.
Wilson said she had been regularly monitoring an underlying condition when a development in a breast biopsy showed no cancer, but prompted her to get a second opinion.
Two other pathologists diagnosed invasive lobular carcinoma. That type makes up a small portion of breast cancers and can spread cancer cells to other areas of the body, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"I share this to educate others that a second opinion is critical to your health," said Wilson.Wilson's disclosure echoes Angelina Jolie's decision to share news of a double mastectomy two years ago and removal of her ovaries last month after tests revealed a mutation in the BRCA1 gene that increases her risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
Wilson took leave from the Broadway play 'Fish in the Dark,' starring Larry David, to undergo surgery last week and will return on May 5, her publicist said.
Wilson has worked since the 1970s in television and film, including roles in movies 'Sleepless in Seattle' and 'Runaway Bride.'
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