Understanding SNL Star Cheri Oteri's Breast Cancer Journey
- Actress and comedian Cheri Oteri, 63, has marked a major milestone in her breast cancer journey after finishing radiation. She celebrated with joy, gratitude, and a symbolic bell ringing ceremony.
- Stage 0 breast cancer, the type of breast cancer Oteri was diagnosed with, refers to DCIS otherwise known as ductal carcinoma in situ. DCIS are abnormal cells that line the duct in a breast. A normal breast comprises lots of ducts (these ducts carry milk to the nipple in a woman who is lactating).
- Oteri underwent two lumpectomies (where only the tumor and surrounding tissue are removed), followed by radiation.
- Radiation therapy uses high-energy beams aimed at a specific area to destroy cancer cells. With breast cancer, it’s often used after surgery to kill off any cancer cells that may remain in the breast, chest wall, or nearby lymph nodes.
- Check out SurvivorNet’s AI-powered tool, My Health Questions, if you’re in need of clear, personalized information when you need it most. Available throughout the SurvivorNet website, this resource can help explain treatment options, clinical trials, possible side effects, insurance questions, and more—putting trusted guidance at your fingertips.
Oteri, who underwent two lumpectomies (where only the tumor and surrounding tissue are removed) after being diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer, took to social media to commemorate the moment with a video clip.
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Fans were quick to praise Oteri, who was part of the NBC sketch comedy series “SNL “from 1995 to 2000, for her strength, with one commenting, “I’ve never heard of a more glorious ring. Sending love my lovely friend.”
Another wrote, “Way to go Cheri. And thanks for drawing awareness to early detection. I’m so happy you’re in the clear. Cancer. Been there. Beat that!”
“Nothing has made me happier. Ring that Bell,” commented a third fan.
Back on the June 10 episode of Chelsea Handler’s Dear Chelsea podcast, Oteri shared that former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, 75, personally contacted her with a heartfelt message of support and encouragement.
“I never felt so supported,” Oteri said. “Jill came up to me … we were saying goodbye, and I told her I was just diagnosed. She asked, ‘When is your surgery?’ And I said, ‘The 26th.'”
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Oteri was diagnosed with stage-zero breast cancer, also known as ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), a non-invasive condition where abnormal cells are found within the breast’s milk ducts.
In the interview, Oteri shared that she underwent two lumpectomy procedures and said she is now feeling “great.”
A lumpectomy, often called breast-conserving surgery, involves removing the cancerous area along with a small amount of nearby healthy tissue while leaving the majority of the breast intact.
“The surgery typically takes about an hour and is outpatient, meaning a patient can go home the same day. “It’s abnormal to have a lot of pain after a lumpectomy,” Dr. Sarah Cate, Chief of Breast Surgery at Stamford Hospital, told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.
As for radiation therapy, which Oteri just completed, it’s often used after surgery to destroy any remaining cancer cells in the breast or surrounding tissue.
As Radiation Oncologist Dr. Subhakar Mutyala previously told SurvivorNet, “Radiation therapy is actually ionizing energy, where energy goes through your body, essentially causes DNA damage… The actual treatment is just ionizing energy.”
While radiation is a standard part of care for many, experts continue to debate its scope and necessity. Dr. Chirag Shah of the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, who also spoke with SurvivorNet, noted two key controversies: whether to use whole breast versus partial breast radiation, and whether some patients may not need radiation at all.
“The idea is reducing the duration of treatment and reducing side effects for patients,” Dr. Shah said. “Omitting radiation is therefore associated with a lower risk of side effects.”
WATCH: The Debates Around Radiation for Breast Cancer
Radiation Therapy: A Powerful Tool with Long-Term Considerations
Radiation therapy—using high-energy rays to destroy cancer cells—is a common follow-up to breast cancer surgery, especially for patients who choose a lumpectomy over a mastectomy. Its goal: reduce the risk of recurrence by targeting any lingering cancer cells in the breast or surrounding tissue.
While effective, radiation can come with side effects, both immediate and delayed. Common symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Swelling
- Scar tissue
- Shortness of breath
One of the more serious concerns involves the heart, which can unintentionally absorb radiation due to its proximity to the breast.
“When the radiation is delivered, unfortunately, the heart happens to be somewhere very near to where they have their breast cancer, and it becomes an innocent bystander absorbing some of the radiation,” explained Dr. Jean-Bernard Durand to SurvivorNet.
This exposure can lead to complications such as fatigue, shortness of breath, and even heart failure—sometimes surfacing decades after treatment.
“We make it a point to see them on a regular basis so that we can catch these things very early and treat them,” Dr. Durand added.
Even advanced techniques like proton therapy, which aim to minimize damage to healthy tissue, aren’t immune to side effects. Fatigue remains a common complaint, and the risk of long-term injury still exists.
“Radiation is a form of energy… and when we give radiation, it has the ability to scatter,” Dr. Durand said. “Even though we may target one particular area, that scattering of energy can cause injury to the local surrounding structures, including the heart.”
Over time, this injury can lead to the development of scar tissue within the heart muscle, its electrical system, and blood supply.
“We believe it is what causes all the injury, that ultimately leads to the symptoms,” he explained.
For survivors, this underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring and open conversations with care teams.
Stage Zero Breast Cancer
Stage zero breast cancer or ductal carcinoma in situ are abnormal cells that line the duct in a breast. A normal breast comprises many ducts carrying milk to the nipple in a lactating woman. This type of breast cancer is not invasive, meaning it has not spread outside the milk duct and can’t invade other parts of the breast.
Some oncologists approach stage zero breast cancer with a watch-and-wait approach, meaning no invasive procedure happens immediately. Other oncologists may opt to perform surgery followed by possible radiation.
SurvivorNet experts say if DCIS is left untreated, it may develop into more advanced breast cancer.
However, it’s important to understand that treatment for early-stage breast cancer is one of the great debates—and recently, there was incredible progress in understanding whether women diagnosed with stage zero breast cancer either need treatment right away or can take a watch-and-wait approach.
A study recently published in JAMA Oncology, is saying that treatment for the disease is actually no better than active surveillance after a stage zero diagnosis.
The research, shared in JAMA with the title “Active Monitoring With or Without Endocrine Therapy for Low-Risk Ductal Carcinoma In Situ – The COMET Randomized Clinical Trial,” is a large study that’s been looking into the benefit of active surveillance versus standard treatment.
As the COMET trial, which has been going on for years and is still underway, those who specialize in breast cancer say this study is incredibly important. Including, Dr. Ann Partridge, an oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the founder and Director of the Program for Young Women with Breast Cancer, who previously told SurvivorNet that DCIS is “a pre-cancer, technically.”
The standard treatment for DCIS is to remove it surgically and in some instances offer radiation as well. “But I think if a woman is seeing a physician who says you need surgery, I think it’s really important that she maybe get a little more information,” Dr. Partridge said.
This type of research has been put into place to help doctors decide whether doing less may be just as effective as doing more. In the meantime, the options are worth weighing depending on your individual diagnosis and concerns.
And we understand that these findings can be distressing to women who have already undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation for early-stage breast cancer, it’s important to note that approximately 30 percent of women who initially receive an early-stage breast cancer diagnosis will end up developing metastatic breast cancer, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.
Additionally, Breast Cancer Research Foundation reports that women with stage zero breast cancer have a a high success rate of beating the disease, with a 98 percent survival rate after 10 years.
Dr. Partridge explained to SurvivorNet that stage zero breast cancer is, “Something that may turn into invasive breast cancer. Invasive breast cancer is the kind of breast cancer that has the potential to not only grow in your breast but to spread to other places in the body and ultimately hurt someone more than just needing a breast surgery.”
The current standard of care is treatment with either lumpectomy or mastectomy, radiation, and hormonal therapy.
Additionally, Dr. Chirag Shah, Director of Breast Radiation Oncology at the Cleveland Clinic Cancer Center, says recent studies show that the risk of dying from stage zero breast cancer is very low, prompting some doctors to opt for less aggressive treatment and, even in some cases, active surveillance.
“Protocols, such as the comet trial, are studying the use of surveillance regimens, but this is not standard of care and is experimental at this time, and active surveillance is not something that we would recommend for patients outside of a clinical study,” Dr. Shah said.
Finding a Balance Between Screening and Treating
Dr. Alana Welm, of the Huntsman Cancer Institute, also told SurvivorNet that doctors need to find a balance between screening and finding cancers that actually require treatment.
Screenings lead to more people being diagnosed with cancer, and some of those cancers may have never caused an issue. Dr. Welm says treating these cancers exposes patients to unnecessary toxicities. Stage zero breast cancer, for example, can get picked up during screening but not all doctors see eye-to-eye on whether it requires treatment or just monitoring.
WATCH: Understanding a double mastectomy.
Coping With Your New Body After Cancer Treatment
To prepare yourself for possible body changes during cancer treatment is to understand that changes are possible but also temporary. This can also help build up your self-confidence. Your support group, filled with loved ones, can help you during this stage of your journey.
Psychologist Dr. Marianna Strongin shares with SurvivorNet some additional tips cancer warriors can explore to help manage the emotional toll body changes can have during treatment.
Dr. Strongin encourages cancer warriors to take ownership of the part (or parts) of their body impacted mainly by cancer treatment. She says although they may represent “fear and pain,” they also represent “strength and courage.”
WATCH: Regaining your sense of self after reconstruction.
“Research has found that when looking in the mirror, we are more likely to focus on the parts of our body we are dissatisfied with, which causes us to have a negative self-view and lower self-esteem. Therefore, I would like you first to spend time gazing at the parts of your body you love, give them time, honor them, and then thank them,” Dr. Strongin said.
Dr. Strongin then suggests looking at the part or parts of your body impacted by the cancer or cancer treatment. She recommends creating a regular practice of accepting your body image because it helps you accept your cancer journey emotionally and physically.
“As you allow yourself to spend more time looking at all of you, you will begin having a new relationship with your body. It may not happen immediately, but with time, you can begin honoring and thanking your new body,” Dr. Strongin added.
Breast Cancer Screenings
As for breast cancer screenings, a mammogram is the primary test doctors use to check for breast cancer. The wide consensus is that women should have regular mammograms beginning in their 40s.
Leading organizations like the American Cancer Society say women should have the option to begin annual screenings between 40 and 45. An independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently changed their guidelines to say that women of average risk should begin at 40 and get mammograms every other year.
Dr. Connie Lehman, a diagnostic radiologist who specializes in breast cancer at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, says when you begin mammograms is a decision you should discuss with your doctor, as they can help you understand your specific circumstances and weigh the benefits and potential risks of earlier screening.
Follow That Fire: Life After Cancer Will be Different, That Doesn’t Have to be a Bad Thing
Your mammogram results may lead your doctor to recommend further testing with a diagnostic mammogram, ultrasound, or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). If these tests suggest changes that might be cancer, you’ll need a biopsy a test in which your doctor removes a small sample of tissue and has it checked for cancer in a lab.
Only a biopsy can confirm or rule out whether you have breast cancer.
Although it can be frightening to go through breast cancer testing, SurvivorNet’s doctors say not to fret. It’s possible for a biopsy to find that a lump is benign or not cancerous.
If you do receive a breast cancer diagnosis, you’ll learn what type of breast cancer you have and the stage of the disease. The stage means how far in your body the cancer has spread.
Though most breast cancers are not linked to inherited genetic mutations, knowing whether you have a mutation could affect the type of treatment you get. SurvivorNet experts recommend all women who are diagnosed with breast cancer be given genetic testing.
Based on your test results, preferences, and personal circumstances (such as your age), you and your doctor will make decisions about how to proceed with treatment, which we have plenty of expert resources on.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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