Talk Show Host Ellen DeGeneres, 62, Whose Mom Battled Breast Cancer, Just Announced She Has COVID-19

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Ellen Diagnosed with Coronavirus

Ellen Degeneres has tested positive for COVID-19. She knows a thing or two about sickness- her mother battled breast cancer when Ellen was just 16.
Ellen’s mom Betsy underwent a double mastectomy to eliminate her breast cancer risk. Mastectomies are just one option in the fight against breast cancer.
Women should receive annual mammograms from age 45-54 or earlier if they have a family history of breast cancer.

Talk show host Ellen Degeneres has tested positive for COVID-19 and has shut down production of The Ellen Degeneres Show until January. With a fight against the virus ahead, it’s possible she’ll draw on the lessons she learned from her mother Betty, who battled breast cancer in Ellen’s teenage years.

“Everything was a dirty little secret back then,” Ellen said of her mother’s battle. “The fact that she had a mastectomy was not spoken of. She tried to shield me from it a little bit, but she needed my help with recovery and physical rehabilitation. It bonded us even more.”

In a Twitter post today, Ellen revealed that she had tested positive for the virus but is “feeling fine right now.” She is following all CDC guidelines for the virus and asked her followers to “please stay healthy and safe” during the holidays.

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— Ellen DeGeneres (@EllenDeGeneres) December 10, 2020

Ellen is very close to her mother Betty, who described their relationship as “very special” and something “that I do not take for granted”. This inseparable bond was only made stronger by Betty’s battle with breast cancer in the 1970s in a conservative town where even her diagnosis was taboo.

What is a Mastectomy?

Some women like Betsy who have been diagnosed with breast cancer choose to undergo a double mastectomy the surgical removal of both breast to eliminate cancerous tumors or to stop the potential spread of the disease. Many others undergo single mastectomy of only one breast.

There are a number of factors to consider before deciding whether to undergo a mastectomy. The most important is whether or not a lumpectomy or “breast-conserving surgery”, which can remove the tumor while preserving the breasts, could work for you.

By looking at the size and features of your tumor as well as your family history, you and your doctor should work together to determine whether a mastectomy, double mastectomy, or lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery) is appropriate.

Should I Have a Lumpectomy or Mastectomy?

If you decide a mastectomy is right for you, you have many options for next steps. Some women choose to reconstruct their breasts, others don’t. Both choices are valid and entirely up to you.

Life and love will still continue, just as it did for Betsy Degeneres, who’s continued to go on dates set up by her celebrity daughter and has appeared multiple times on the Ellen show.

Screening for Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is typically detected via a mammogram, which takes an x-ray picture of the breast to reveal any cancerous growths.

Doctors are in consensus that women between the ages of 45 and 54 should get annual mammograms, but there is some contention over whether women aged 40-45 should also be screened.

You should talk to your doctor about being screened before age 45 if you fall into any high-risk category, such as a history of breast cancer in your immediate family, childhood exposure to radiation in the breast area, or certain genetic mutations.

When Should I Get a Mammogram?

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