Rebecca Crews, 57, is the wife of actor Terry Crews, 55. She reflected on the early days of her entertainment career in a flashback social media post of her performing in the musical “The Wiz.”
She often credits much of her successes to the unrelenting support of her husband, Terry. Although their marriage hasn’t always been smooth, they’ve always supported each other when needed. For Rebecca, Terry’s support during her cancer journey was tremendous.
Rebecca was diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer in 2020 following a mammogram and ultrasound. After sharing the emotional news with her husband, Terry took her diagnosis as an opportunity to step up and provide her with all the support she needs.
Rebecca underwent a double mastectomy, which involves removing both breasts to help her treat the cancer. She’s since said she is “cancer-free.”
Rebecca Crews, 57, the wife of famous actor Terry Crews, 55, has been in the entertainment industry alongside her popular husband for decades. Nowadays, she’s focused more on her fashion business, but she drew attention to her days in the spotlight in a fun throwback photo. The picture posted to her Instagram shows her performing in the award-winning musical “The Wiz.” Amid the nostalgia, she noted how risky a scene she depicted in her post actually was.
“The swing was a piece of wood tied to two ropes and was not very stable or secure. I really could’ve died!” Rebecca Crews wrote in the eye-catching Instagram post.
Rebecca Crews has a background in songwriting and as a singer, but she’s also focused much of her time on the couple’s children. In her social media post, she says, “I played a character called the Eye of the Tornado. A dancer’s role requires me to descend from the sky (20 feet above) and land on top of a spinning house.”
Although the apparatus hoisting her above the stage posed some safety risks, she said she enjoyed performing and would continue to do so through college and professionally before focusing on marriage and her family.
Rebecca’s life is seemingly full of amazing moments and resilience, which was on full display when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She often credits the support of her husband, Terry, for helping her through her cancer journey.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 15: Rebecca Crews attends the Los Angeles premiere of Lionsgate’s “American Underdog” at TCL Chinese Theatre on December 15, 2021, in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images)
Rebecca’s breast cancer diagnosis three years ago brought her and her husband closer together because, around that time, they were overcoming some strife in their marriage.
Her cancer was in stage 1. She discovered it after undergoing a routine mammogram and ultrasound.
A mammogram is a breast cancer screening method that examines breast tissues for abnormalities.
Stage 1 breast cancers are relatively small; they either have not spread to the lymph nodes or only a small area of cancer has spread to the sentinel lymph node. Treatment will likely be surgery and radiation following surgery, along with chemotherapy or some other therapy.
WATCH: How often do you get mammograms?
Rebecca admitted after her diagnosis, she was “overwhelmed with fear,” and Terry was the first person she shared the emotional news with.
Crews underwent a double mastectomy procedure that involved removing both breasts to get rid of cancer. The procedure may also be performed as a preventative measure for women who are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer.
“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removing of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, told SurvivorNet.
WATCH: What happens during a double mastectomy?
“The real length, the total length of the surgery, can often depend on what type of reconstruction [a patient] has,” Dr. Port added.
During Rebecca Crews’ cancer journey, she gave large amounts of credit to her faith in God and her loving and supportive husband, Terry, for helping her through her cancer fight. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Terry took on the role of Rebecca’s caregiver while she recovered from surgery and the stress from treatment. He once joked the world shut down so he could take care of her, support her through tough days, and ultimately watch her get better.
“I actually felt a mild panic attack,” Terry told SurvivorNet. “The only way I can describe it is that I felt like my insides were melting,” he continued.
“I looked at it like an opportunity. This is what love is. When you look at the marriage vows, it’s not when everything’s great. This is where the rubber meets the road,” Terry said.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 10: Rebecca King-Crews and Terry Crews are seen in Midtown during New York Fashion Week on September 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Santiago Felipe/Getty Images for Terry Crews)
“My husband has watched me go through a lot, but the look on his face…he looked at me like I was going to die…He told me it felt like his insides were melting. I said, ‘I need you to be strong for me,’ and he said, ‘Okay,’ and hugged me, but I think he needed that hug,” Rebecca told People.
“My wife and I have been through a lot of things,” Terry told SurvivorNet in an interview. “We’ve lost homes; we’ve lost children before things that would have taken a lot of people out, and we survived them all,” he added.
“We made it. You get a new appreciation for what life is. We’ve been through everything but never faced a problem like this. It’s a whole new challenge, and I was proud of how she became a warrior. My wife is 100% cancer-free. This is a win,” Terry told SurvivorNet.
Understanding Biomarkers in Early-Stage Breast Cancer
Earlier this year, new guidelines on using biomarkers in early-stage breast cancer were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. The Breast Cancer Index (BCI) assesses the risk of breast cancer recurrence in some patients. The BCI is considered the “only genomic test to help guide extended endocrine therapy decisions in early-stage, HR+ (hormone receptor-positive) breast cancer patients with node-negative or node-positive of recurrence.”
The recommendation is based on data from recent clinical trials, including MA-17, aTTom, and IDEAL, which prove the use of BCI for predicting the benefit of extended adjuvant endocrine therapy with tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors (AI). Tamoxifen and AIs are drugs commonly used to stop estrogen from fueling the growth of hormone receptor-positive breast cancers.
Ultimately, the modified guidance helps reduce unnecessary extended endocrine therapy for early-stage breast cancer patients.
“While continuing anti-estrogen therapy beyond five years can help some women with HR+, early-stage breast cancer reduces their risk of recurrence, not all women benefit from a full ten years of treatment,” Michelle Garsha, president of diagnostic solutions at Hologic, tells SurvivorNet.
“Longer treatment is also associated with many potential side effects and toxicities that can negatively impact health and quality of life, such as osteoporosis, bone fractures, and joint pain,” she added. “Breast Cancer Index is the only test that can determine whether treatment beyond five years is likely to help a woman reduce her risk of the cancer returning.”
What To Ask Your Doctor
If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have questions about how to keep your strength through treatment. Here are a few questions to help you begin the conversation with your doctor:
What treatment will I be receiving?
What side effects are associated with this treatment?
Are there steps I can take daily to help minimize these side effects?
What physical activity routine do you recommend for me during treatment?
Do you have recommendations for someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise?
Can you recommend a dietician who can help me with healthy eating tips and weight maintenance?
I’ve been having trouble sleeping. Do you have any treatment recommendations?
Kavontae Smalls is a writer and reporter for SurvivorNet. Read More
Inspiring Survivors
The cancer community is filled with inspiring survivor stories along with tales of the many ways those living with cancer learn to cope. This series features some of our favorite, influential, and inspired breast cancer survivors.
