‘You Have to Have Hope’: Actress Elizabeth Hurley, 55, Remembers Grandmother She Lost to Breast Cancer

In a new interview with Extra, Hurley, who’s an active breast cancer advocate says, "Everything's improved diagnosis, preventative treatments, it's all improved so I would say to people: You have to have hope, you really, really have to have hope. Do what your doctor tells you. You have to lead a healthy lifestyle."

How to Screen for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is typically detected via mammogram, which looks for lumps in the breast tissue and early signs of cancer. Women aged 45 to 54 should have mammograms every year to screen for this disease.

Related: When You're Getting a Mammogram, Ask About Dense Breasts

Dr. Connie Lehman of Massachusetts General Hospital outlines the need for screening in an earlier interview. She says, “If you haven’t gone through menopause yet, I think it’s very important that you have a mammogram every year. We know that cancers grow more rapidly in our younger patients, and having that annual mammogram can be lifesaving.”

“After menopause, it may be perfectly acceptable to reduce that frequency to every two years,” explains Dr. Lehman. “But what I’m most concerned about is the women who haven’t been in for a mammogram for two, three, or four years, those women that have never had a mammogram. We all agree regular screening mammography saves lives.”

When Should I Get a Mammogram?

How to Have Hope Amid Cancer Fight

As Hurley says, hope is out there. Not only that, but it’s important for not just your mind, but your body, too to hold onto that feeling of hope, and focus on posivity while battling cancer, as it can make a real difference.

Related: Treating Depression After a Cancer Diagnosis

In an earlier interview, colorectal surgeon Dr. Zuri Murrell explained the mind-body connection. He says, “My patients who thrive, even with stage 4 cancer, from the time that they, about a month after they’re diagnosed, I kind of am pretty good at seeing who is going to be OK.”

“Now doesn’t that mean I’m good at saying that the cancer won’t grow,” he says. “But I’m pretty good at telling what kind of patient are going to still have this attitude and probably going to live the longest, even with bad, bad disease. And those are patients who, they have gratitude in life,” says Dr. Murrell.

For those coping with grief and depression after a cancer diagnosis, know that there is help out there, and these are common emotions experienced by many post-diagnosis. Therapy and prescription medication can help you to feel better.

Stay Positive, It Matters

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