‘We All Face Setbacks in Life’ Says Breast Cancer Survivor Robin Roberts, 61, Who Spreads Positivity Through Partner’s Cancer Battle

A lot of people in the SurvivorNet community tell us that two time cancer survivor Robin Roberts’s positivity and uplifting spirit inspires them to keep going. So often the Good Morning America host tries to assure people that tough times are impermanent, saying, “when we go through loss and disappointment it’s easy to think that’s the way it’s always going to be….God never brings you out the same. When you’re in tough times, remind yourself that the tough times are not how your story is. ‘Greater’ is coming.”

 

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Robin’s Breast Cancer Battle

In 2007, Robin was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she went through her cancer battle publicly, raising awareness about the disease in the process. The GMA host also had to have a bone marrow transplant to treat her MDS, which is a rare type of blood cancer.

Roberts discovered her cancer while at work. She was preparing for a news story about the need for early detection for breast cancer, and she performed a self-check at home. While doing an exam on herself, Roberts discovered a lump. She treated her cancer with surgery. Breast cancer can also be treated with radiation and chemotherapy.

Current guidelines recommend that women aged 45 to 54 with an average risk of breast cancer should get mammograms annually. Mammograms screen for breast cancer and look for lumps in the breast tissue, and other signs of cancer. If you’re at a higher risk for breast cancer due to a family history of the disease, you should start screening earlier.

When Should You Consider a Mastectomy?

Robin’s Posivitiy & Prayer Through Partner’s Cancer

We love Robin’s positivity and her uplifting attitude, even in the face of hardship, like a partner’s cancer battle. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 69% of cancer patients say that they rely on faith throughout cancer treatment, and use prayer as a way to call for good health.

In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Bay Area resident and ovarian cancer survivor, Annie Tolentino, shared how prayer was critical during her cancer journey. “Without faith and without Jesus being part of my life, I don’t think how I would have been able to keep my sanity,” says the ovarian cancer survivor.

Religion was already an integral part of life for Tolentino and her family. They would pray together at night, and attend church services together each week. When she was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer, her faith became a lifeline—a way for her to stay positive through the difficult treatment process. Her belief also helped her cope with the loss of her mother from the very same cancer.

Before each mass she attended, “I would go to the little chapel that they have and write my love letters to Jesus, thanking him for helping me survive through this, survive through my disease, survive my mother passing from the same cancer,” she says.

Tolentino wasn’t alone in her prayers. “I’ve got great family members and friends who pray with me, not just pray for me but pray with me. I call them my ‘prayer warriors.’”

Annie Tolentino Credits ‘Prayer Warriors’ for Helping Her Get Through Ovarian Cancer Treatment

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