Updated February 24th, 2023

How Christina Applegate Got Pregnant After Cancer — The Latest Fertility Science & Keeping Her Family ‘Fed’ After MS Diagnosis

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Christina Applegate Shines Light on Another Important Issue

Actress Christina Applegate, 51, discussed career changes she may have to make to “make sure my daughter’s fed and we’re homed” after her MS diagnosis in 2021.
The actress said she doesn’t have it in her to spend “12 to 14 hours on a set,” and her role in the Netflix hit “Dead to Me” may be her last as an actress.
Applegate has spoken candidly about her health in the past, including breast cancer, giving birth after cancer treatment, and having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to reduce cancer risk.
Her candor has shined a light on important issues, including the many (and ever-evolving) fertility preservation options for young women who are diagnosed with cancer like egg and/or embryo freezing.

Christina Applegate, 51, recently spoke up about how her work life is changing after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, Applegate said the Screen Actors Guild Awards, which will be held later this month, will likely be the last award show she attends as an actress. She’s nominated for Outstanding Female Actor in a Comedy Series for her role in the Netflix hit “Dead to Me” which she said may be her last on-screen role.

“It's my last awards show as an actor probably, so it's kind of a big deal," Applegate told the Times. "Right now, I couldn't imagine getting up at 5 a.m. and spending 12 to 14 hours on a set; I don't have that in me at this moment.”

When asked what she will do for work in the future, she said she’s considering a pivot, like producing or “doing a s ton of voice-overs to make some cash to make sure that my daughter's fed and we're homed.”

Christina Applegate and ‘Dead to Me’ co-star Linda Cardellini (GETTY)

She’s been candid about how MS, a disease that impacts the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves and can disrupt communication between the brain and the body, has affected her life noting that she put off watching the third and final season of “Dead to Me” because of how MS and treatment made her look and feel.

“I don't like seeing myself struggling,” she said. “Also, I gained 40 pounds because of inactivity and medications, and I didn't look like myself, and I didn't feel like myself … At some point I was able to distance myself from my own ego, and realize what a beautiful piece of television it was. All the scenes I wasn't in were so much fun to see and experience for the very first time.”

Christina Applegate’s Breast Cancer Battle

Sharing the struggles of her MS diagnosis openly is not the first time Applegate has been candid about her health. Back in 2008, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy a surgery where both breasts are removed.

Her daughter, Sadie, was born just three years later, and Applegate’s situation brought widespread attention to an important topic: fertility after cancer treatment. Applegate even told People after her daughter’s birth in 2011 that she felt becoming a mom became a sort of healer for her after going through the trauma of breast cancer.

“I’ve had to talk about that word [cancer] more than I’ve ever had to talk about a word in my life,” Applegate said. “After a while you’re like, ‘There’s got to be something else to me … Now I’m Mom. She’s healed me in so many ways. She’s just made my life so much better. She’s opened my whole soul.”

Applegate also spoke candidly about her decision to later have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed as a precaution, due to her higher risk with ovarian cancer in her family.

Fertility Options After Cancer Treatment

Applegate did not speak publicly about if she underwent any fertility preservation after learning she had cancer, but it is an important factor for young women facing a diagnosis to be aware of. Younger women (Applegate was in her 30s when she was diagnosed) do have fertility preservation options to consider before cancer treatment if they want to have children in the future. This may include freezing eggs or embryos or making adjustments to the treatment plan.

It’s important for women to speak up about their future plans so fertility preservation can be a part of the treatment plan if needed.

“There’s been studies that show that nearly over 50% of women are never even told that they have the opportunity to freeze eggs or embryos or whatever it may be before they embark on treatment,” Dr. Jaime Knopman, a reproductive endocrinologist and the Director of Fertility Preservation for CCRM NY, told SurvivorNet in a previous conversation.

“So, I think you need to be your own advocate and I’ve learned that not only as a doctor, but as a patient and as a mom. If you don’t ask for things, a lot of times you’re not going to get them.”

Dr. Jaime Knopman speaks about fertility preservation options after a cancer diagnosis.

Dr. Knopman also added that timing is important when it comes to fertility preservation and women should seek out specialists as soon as they are able after a diagnosis.

“Time is always of the essence when we see patients who have cancer,” she explained. “In our own practice, we usually see the patient the same day, if not the next day. Because the sooner we start, the sooner that patient can then go on and do their treatment. A lot of the success comes down to how old you are at the time you froze, and the quality of the lab in which your eggs or embryos were frozen in.”

What Are the Pros/Cons of Egg or Embryo Freezing?

“The standard-of-care options for fertility preservation for women would be egg or embryo freezing,” Dr. Terri Woodard, head of the onco-fertility program at MD Anderson Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet.

Dr. Woodward points out that there are pros and cons to each. When a woman’s eggs are frozen, they are not yet fertilized, so that woman has control and can make decisions about what she wants to do with them later on. Frozen embryos are fertilized either with a partner’s sperm or with donor sperm.

“The problem with freezing embryos with donor sperm was that once your egg is fertilized by a sperm, you can’t unfertilize it. I think the biggest decision to make is, what would I do if this relationship doesn’t work or if the cancer progresses and I cannot use these embryos,” Dr. Knopman said.

On the pro side, embryo freezing has been a standard of care for a long time, and fertility experts have had great success with it.

Dr. Terri Woodard weighs the pros and cons of eggs v. embryo freezing.

“Embryo freezing has been the standard of care for many years, because that’s what we have the most experience with,” Dr. Woodward said. “The other side of it is egg freezing. Egg freezing hasn’t been around as long; however, we have become very good at it and most clinics are doing egg freezing now.”

The final decision will come down to the patient and it’s important to carefully weigh these options with the help of a fertility expert.

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