commentator; died at age 59 lynne stewart (1939–2017) born lynne irene feltham, american lawyer and activist; died at age 77 diagnosed in 2005 at age 66 jane tomlinson (1964–2007) born jane emily goward, british cancer fundraiser; died at age 43 diagnosed in 1991 with a recurrence in 2000 at age 36 and died in 2007 music name life comments diagnosis reference a-sun (1975–2009) taiwanese mandopop singer-songwriter died in 2009, aged 34 anastacia (1968–present) born anastacia lyn newkirk, american popular singer diagnosed in 2003 at age 34 odia coates (1941–1991) african-american singer; died at age 49 died in 1991, aged 49, following a four-year battle doris coley (1941–2000) african-american singer (one of the shirelles); died at age 58 died at age 58 in 2000 teresa cornelys (c. 1723–1797) born anna maria teresa imer, italian operatic soprano died in fleet prison, london in 1797 at age 73 or 74 linda creed (1949–1986) american songwriter; died at age 37 diagnosed at age 26 in 1975 peter criss (1945–present) born peter george criscuola, american musician (kiss drummer) diagnosed at age 62 in 2008 sheryl crow (1962–present) american singer/musician, who, as of february 24, 2006, is being treated for breast cancer diagnosed in 2006 at age 44 tamara danz (1952–1996) born lenore tamara danz, german lead singer and lyricist of the east german rock group silly diagnosed in 1995; died the following year at age 43 anita doth (1971–present) born anita daniëlle dels, eurodance singer who was part of the dutch duo 2 unlimited diagnosed in 2009 at age 37 melissa etheridge (1961–present) american singer/songwriter whose grandmother and aunt died from breast cancer diagnosed in 2004 at age 43 marianne faithfull (1946–present) british singer/actress diagnosed in 2006 at age 59 kathleen ferrier (1912–1953) english contralto; died at age 41 diagnosed in 1951 at age 38 lola flores (1923–1995) born maría dolores flores ruiz, spanish singer, flamenco dancer, and businesswoman first diagnosed in diagnosed in 1972; died at age 72 nanci griffith (1953–2021) american singer/songwriter diagnosed in 1996 at age 43 sarah harding (1981–2021) born sarah nicole hardman, english singer, model and actress, died at age 39 diagnosed in 2020 at age 38 marsha hunt (1946–present) african-american singer, novelist, breast cancer activist and mother of mick jagger's first child, karis jagger diagnosed in 2004 at age 58 irene kral (1932–1978) american jazz singer; died at age 46 diagnosed in 1972 at age 40 pastelle leblanc (1979/1980–2022) canadian folk musician; died at age 42 diagnosed in 2020 lorraine hunt lieberson (1954–2006) american opera singer; died at age 52; in 2000 her younger sister alexis also died due to breast cancer diagnosed in 2000 at age 46 linda mccartney (1941–1998) born linda louise eastman, american singer, activist, wife of british former beatles member, sir paul mccartney; died at age 56 diagnosed in 1995 at age 56 kylie minogue (1968–present) australian singer and actress. sister of dannii minogue. diagnosed in 2005 at age 36 anna moffo (1932–2006) italian-american singer and operatic soprano who died from a stroke after grappling with complications of breast cancer for a decade; died at age 73 diagnosed in 1996 , charlotte moorman (1933–1991) american cellist and performance artist; died at age 57 diagnosed in the late 1970s in her 40s dame olivia newton-john (1948–2022) british-australian singer, actress and activist; died at age 73 diagnosed in 1992 at age 44 bernie nolan (1960–2013) irish singer, actress, television personality and former member of the 1970s pop band, the nolans; died at age 52 diagnosed in 2010 at age 49 linda nolan (1959–present) irish singer, actress and former member of the 1970s pop band, the nolans diagnosed in 2006 at age 46 minnie pearl (1912–1996) born sarah ophelia colley, american grand ole opry star, country comic, singer and philanthropist who survived breast cancer but died in 1996 of complications from a stroke; died at age 83 diagnosed in 1985 at age 73 poly styrene (1957–2011) born marianne joan elliott-said, british singer treated for breast cancer, which spread to her spine and lungs; died at age 53 minnie riperton (1947–1979) american singer-songwriter diagnosed in 1976 at age 29 carly simon (1945–present) american singer diagnosed in 1998 at age 53 lucy simon (1940–2022) american singer and composer died at age 82 soraya (1969–2006) born soraya raquel lamilla cuevas, colombian-american singer/songwriter and breast cancer advocate; her mother (yamila cuevas gharib; (1941–1992)), aunt, and grandmother also died due to breast cancer; died at age 37 diagnosed in 2000 at age 31 dusty springfield (1939–1999) born mary isobel catherine bernadette o'brien, british songwriter/singer; died at age 59 diagnosed in 1994 at age 54 ruth ann swenson (1963–present) american operatic soprano diagnosed in 2006 at age 43 dame jools topp (1958–present) born julie bethridge topp, new zealand folk singer; one of the topp twins diagnosed in 2006 at age 48 tatiana troyanos (1938–1993) american operatic mezzo-soprano; died at age 54 diagnosed in the mid-1980s and later in remission; found in july 1993 to have metastasized to her liver dawn upshaw (1960–present) american operatic soprano diva diagnosed in 2006 at age 46 floor jansen (1981–present) dutch metal vocalist diagnosed in 2022 at age 41 politics and government name life comments diagnosis reference bella abzug (1920–1998) born bella savitsky, american politician, lawyer, and women's movement leader; battled breast cancer for years before developing heart disease, which claimed her life; it was never publicly disclosed if the cancer had metastasized; died at age 77 diagnosed in 1994 at age 73 judith adams (1943–2012) born judith anne bird, new zealand-born australian politician, midwife, nurse, and farmer; died at age 68 diagnosed with first-stage breast cancer in 1998, and secondary breast cancer in 2008; died in 2012 barbara allen (1961–present) american politician, kansas state senator diagnosed in 2005 rose bird (1936–1999) first female chief justice of california; died at age 63 diagnosed in 1976 at age 40 dame joyanne bracewell (1934–2007) judge of the family division of the high court of justice (uk); died at age 72 edward brooke (1919–2015) male african-american former u.s. senator of massachusetts; died at age 95 diagnosed in 2002 at age 83 robin carnahan (1961–present) american politician, missouri secretary of state diagnosed in 2006 mary jo codey (1955–present) born mary jo rolli, former first lady of new jersey, school teacher and wife of former governor of new jersey richard codey; mary jo's mother died due to breast cancer diagnosed in 2002 at age 47 nellie connally (1919–2006) born idanell brill, american wife of former texas governor john connally; survived breast cancer and died of natural causes at age 87; established the nellie b. connally breast cancer fund in 1989 diagnosed in 1988 at age 69 margaret daley (1943–2011) born margaret ann corbett, wife of american politician richard m. daley diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 2002 jo ann davis (1950–2007) born jo ann sides, american politician diagnosed in september 2005 at age 55; died at age 57 sandra deal (1942–2022) born emilie sandra dunagan, american education advocate; first lady of georgia (2011–2019) diagnosed in january 2018; died at age 80 peggy duff (1910–1981) born margaret doreen eames, british political activist and organiser of the campaign for nuclear disarmament; died at age 71 eileen dugan (1945–1996) american politician; brooklyn, new york state assemblywoman; died at age 51 diagnosed in 1992 at age 37 elizabeth edwards (1949–2010) born mary elizabeth anania, american lawyer and wife of john edwards; died at age 61 diagnosed in 2004 at age 55 margaret ewing (1945–2006) born margaret anne mcadam, scottish national party politician and member of the scottish parliament and wife of fellow msp fergus ewing; died at age 60 diagnosed in 2002 at age 57 betty ford (1918–2011) born elizabeth anne bloomer, first lady of the united states (1974-1977) and founder of the betty ford center; died at age 93 diagnosed in 1974 at age 56 bea gaddy (1933–2001) born beatrice frankie fowler, african-american baltimore city council member and advocate for the poor; recurrence in 2001; died at age 68 diagnosed in 1998 at age 65 megan lloyd george (1902–1966) welsh politician and the first female member of parliament (mp) for a welsh constituency; died at age 64 patricia roberts harris (1924–1985) served as secretary of housing and urban development and secretary of health and human services during the carter administration; died at age 60 diagnosed in 1983 at age 59 heidi heitkamp (1955–present) north dakota politician and lawyer diagnosed in 2000 at age 45 janette howard (1944–present) born janette parker, wife of australian prime minister john howard diagnosed in 1996 at age 52 susan kadis (1953–present) canadian member of parliament diagnosed in 1995 at age 42 joan kennedy (1936–present) born virginia joan bennett, former wife of late senator edward m. kennedy (massachusetts) diagnosed in 2005 at age 68 datin seri endon mahmood (1940–2005) wife of the prime minister of malaysia abdullah ahmad badawi; her twin sister, noraini, died due to breast cancer in 2003; died at age 64 diagnosed in 2002 at age 61 judy eason mcintyre (1945–present) african-american politician, oklahoma state senator diagnosed in august 2006 tucker l. melancon (1947–present) male united states district judge, western district of louisiana, 5th circuit since 1994 diagnosed in 2002 at age 56 corinna miazga 1983–2023 german politician; died at age 39 janet napolitano (1957–present) american politician, former governor of arizona, secretary of homeland security diagnosed in 2000 at age 43 jocelyn newman (1937–2018) born jocelyn margaret mullett, former senator from the australian parliament for tasmania; treated successfully and died of alzheimer's disease in 2018 at age 80 diagnosed in 1993 at age 56 eileen o'connell (1947–2000) late member of the legislative assembly of nova scotia, canada, for halifax-fairview; died on september 27, 2000, at age 53 diagnosed in 1998 at age 51 sandra day o'connor (1930–present) first female u.s. supreme court justice diagnosed in 1988 at age 58 siobhán o'hanlon (1963–2006) northern irish sinn féin official and former provisional irish republican army member; died at age 43 on 11 april 2006 diagnosed in october 2002 at age 39 katherine o'regan (1946-2018) born katherine victoria newton, new zealand county councillor, mp, and associate minister of health (national party) diagnosed in 2008; died in 2018 at age 71 irma rangel (1932–2003) american politician, texas state representative; died of inflammatory breast cancer (also suffered from ovarian and brain cancers); died at age 71 nancy reagan (1921–2016) born anne frances robbins, former first lady of the united states and wife of former president ronald reagan diagnosed in 1987 at age 66 m. jodi rell (1946–present) born mary carolyn reavis, american politician, governor of connecticut diagnosed in 2004 at age 58 happy rockefeller (1926–2015) born margaretta large fitler, american socialite and wife of the late former n.y. governor and u.s. vice president nelson rockefeller diagnosed in 1974 at age 48; died in 2015, aged 88 debra shipley (1957–present) british politician, labour party member of parliament diagnosed in 2005 at age 47 claire shulman (1926–2020) born claire kantoff, american registered nurse turned politician; former (and first female) borough president of queens, new york city; died at age 94 in 2020 ricky silberman (1937–2007) born rosalie gaull, american conservative activist who co-founded the independent women's forum; died at age 69 jan tinetti (1968–present) new zealand politician, member of parliament (labour party) diagnosed in 2019 linda tripp (1949–2020) born linda rose carotenuto, american federal government employee and monica lewinsky's former confidant; died from pancreatic cancer at age 70 in 2020 diagnosed in 2001 at age 51 ann veneman (1949–present) former head of the u.s. dept. of agriculture diagnosed in 2002 at age 52 jenna welch (1919–2019) born jenna louise hawkins, mother of american first lady laura bush diagnosed in 1997 at age 78 royalty name life comments diagnosis reference anne of austria (1601–1666) mother of king louis xiv of france and philippe i, duke of orléans, wife of king louis xiii of france, daughter of habsburg parents, king philip iii of spain and margarita of austria, sister of king philip iv of spain, aunt and mother-in-law of spanish habsburg princess maria theresa of spain; died at age 66 abigail kuaihelani campbell (1858–1908) born abigail kuaihelani maipinepine bright, member of the nobility of the kingdom of hawaii; died at age 50 lady anne hyde (1637–1671) duchess of york, first wife of james, duke of york (the future king james vii and ii), mother of queen mary