Breast Cancer Survivor Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 60, Says Facing Her Mortality with Cancer & the COVID-19 Pandemic Was ‘Strangely The Same’

"I had no sense of arrogance whatsoever about [the pandemic],” she says. “When you're face-to-face with your mortality in the way that cancer takes you there the pandemic I found to be strangely the same," Louis-Dreyfus tells Variety. 

Experiencing cancer made her consider the “life is short thing” and helped her rethink her life and prioritize. She wants to travel more with her husband, Brad Hall, and “be near my kids”. (She has two sons in their 20s.)

And she’s not ruling out returning to some of her favorite roles: "Yes! It would give me enormous joy to do more Veep," Louis-Dreyfus says. "And who knows, maybe we will one day."

Julia’s Breast Cancer Journey

Louis-Dreyfus was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in September 2017, right before she was about to start filming the new season of her hit show Veep. For her treatment path, the 60-year-old actress went through six rounds of chemotherapy, and a double mastectomy to treat her disease.

Related: Breast Cancer Survivor Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 60, Is Newest Marvel Member, Contessa Valentina Allegra; Fans Are Overjoyed

Treatment options for breast cancer may include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Louis-Dreyfus was bravely candid throughout her breast cancer journey. She publicly discussed her disease, which led to increased awareness around breast cancer screenings and treatment.

Inspiring Breast Cancer Survivors

When Should You Get a Mastectomy?

As part of her treatment path, Louis-Dreyfus had a double mastectomy, which means she had both breasts removed as a way to prevent the spread of her cancer.

A mastectomy may involve the removal of one or both breasts, either partially or completely. Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, explains the considerations to take into account when deciding whether or not to get a mastectomy to treat breast cancer.

Related: What is Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy?

"So when I talk to a woman who comes to me and she has breast cancer, I evaluate what the standard options for treatment for her are, which typically include cutting out the cancer which is either a lumpectomy if you can get it all with just a little scooping around of the area that's abnormal or a mastectomy for some women meaning taking the full breast because sometimes these lesions can be very extensive in the breast," says Dr. Partridge.

Related: Prophylactic Mastectomy For High-Risk Women

"And I'll talk to a woman about that and I'll say these are two main options or the big fork in the road. Depending on the size and other features, such as family history, a patient may opt for more aggressive surgery," she says. "And so even for early-stage one breast cancer, a woman may elect a mastectomy to remove her whole breast. Sometimes, this is something that's done prophylactically, meaning a woman just has a high risk of breast cancer in their family."

When Should You Consider a Mastectomy?

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