list of people with breast cancer list of people with breast cancer this list of notable people with breast cancer includes people who made significant contributions to their chosen field and who were diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives, as confirmed by public information. diagnosis dates are listed where the information is known. breast cancer is the second most common cancer in women after skin cancer. according to the united states national cancer institute, the rate of new cases of female breast cancer was 129.1 per 100,000 women per year. the death rate was 19.9 per 100,000 women per year. these rates are age-adjusted and based on 2014–2018 cases and 2015–2019 deaths. approximately 12.9 percent of women will be diagnosed with female breast cancer at some point during their lifetime, based on 2016–2018 data. in 2018, there were an estimated 3,676,262 women living with female breast cancer in the united states. actress greta garbo was a breast cancer patient acting and related fields name life comments diagnosis reference josephine abady (1949–2002) american stage director, film director, and producer; died at age 52 inga abel (1946–2000) german actress; died at age 53 aisha abimbola (1970–2018) nigerian actress; died at age 47 christina applegate (1971–present) american emmy award-winning actress diagnosed in 2008 at age 37 dame eileen atkins (1934–present) british bafta, emmy, and olivier award-winning actress diagnosed in 1995 at age 61 allyce beasley (1954–present) american actress diagnosed in 1998 at 44 vanessa bell calloway (1957–present) american actress diagnosed in 2009 aisha bicknell (1971–present) daughter of british actress rita tushingham diagnosed in april 2005 at age 33 shirley temple black (1926–2014) american child star and u.s. ambassador to ghana and czechoslovakia; died at age 85 from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease diagnosed in 1972 at age 46 carina bleeth (1942–1989) american model and mother of actress yasmine bleeth; died of inflammatory breast cancer at age 47 diagnosed in 1988 at age 46 malandra burrows (1965–present) born malandra elizabeth newman, english actress and singer diagnosed in 2022 at age 56 diahann carroll (1935–2019) born carol diann johnson, american oscar-nominated actress and singer; died at age 84 diagnosed in 1998 at age 63 mahima chaudhry (1973–present) indian actress diagnosed in 2022 at age 49 melanie clark pullen (1975–2022) irish actress, film producer and writer; died at age 46 following battle with breast cancer and diagnosis of a brain tumour (unclear if related) diagnosed in 2019 at age 44 , sara coward (1948–2017) english actress and writer; died at age 69 diagnosed in 2013 at age 65 bette davis (1908–1989) american oscar-winning actress; died at age 81 diagnosed in 1983 at age 75 ruby dee (1922–2014) born ruby ann wallace, american oscar-nominated actress; died in 2014 from natural causes diagnosed in the 1970s shannen doherty (1971–present) american saturn-nominated actress diagnosed in 2015 at age 44 diana douglas (1923–2015) born diana love dill, british-american actress; first wife of american actor kirk douglas and mother of american actor michael douglas; died of an undisclosed form of cancer in 2015, aged 92 diagnosed in mid-1990s carmen duncan (1942–2019) australian actress; died at age 76 sally dynevor (1963–present) british actress diagnosed in 2009 at age 46 julie ege (1943–2008) norwegian actress and model; died at age 64 jill eikenberry (1947–present) american actress diagnosed in 1986 at age 39 victoria ekanoye (1981–present) english actress diagnosed in 2021 at age 39 belinda emmett (1974–2006) australian actress; had a recurrence in 2001; died november 11, 2006, at age 32 diagnosed in 1998 at age 24 edie falco (1963–present) american actress diagnosed in 2003 at age 40 lesley fitz-simons (1961–2013) scottish actress; died at age 51 diagnosed in 2009 at age 48 jane fonda (1937–present) american actress, activist and former fashion model diagnosed in 2010 at age 73 kay francis (1905–1968) born katherine edwina gibbs, american actress, died at age 63 diagnosed in 1966 at age 61 maria friedman (1960–present) british actress diagnosed in 2005 at age 45 helen gahagan (1900–1980) american actress turned politician; died at age 80 diagnosed in 1972 at age 72; recurred in 1976 greta garbo (1905–1990) born greta lovisa gustafsson, swedish-american oscar-nominated actress; survived breast cancer following a double mastectomy; cause of death was kidney and stomach failure and pneumonia; died in 1990 at age 84 diagnosed in 1984 at age 79 paulette goddard (1910–1990) born marion levy, american oscar-nominated actress; survived breast cancer, but died at age 79 following a brief battle with emphysema diagnosed in 1975 at age 65 florence halop (1923–1986) american actress; died at age 63 of lung cancer believed to have metastasized from her original breast cancer dame sheila hancock (1933–present) british actress diagnosed in 1988 at age 55 julie harris (1925-2013) american multi-tony award-winning and oscar-nominated actress; died at age 87 in 2013 following a series of strokes diagnosed in 1981 at age 56 marica hase (1981–present) japanese gravure model and adult actress diagnosed in 2018 at age 37 diana hyland (1936–1977) born diane gentner, american stage and television actress diagnosed in 1977; died later the same year at age 41 jill ireland (1936–1990) british actress; died at age 54 diagnosed in 1984 at age 48 kate jackson (1948–present) american actress; survived a recurrence in 1989 at age 41 diagnosed in 1987 at age 39 ann jillian (1950–present) born ann jura nauseda, american actress and entertainer diagnosed in 1985 at age 35 jennifer jones (1919–2009) born phylis lee isley, american oscar-winning actress survivor; died at age 90 from natural causes anne kirkbride (1954–2015) british actress died in 2015 at age 60 myrna loy (1905–1993) born myrna adele williams, american actress; had mastectomies in 1975 and 1979, but died during surgery for undisclosed causes; died at age 88 diagnosed in 1975 at age 70 rue mcclanahan (1934–2010) american emmy award-winning actress; reportedly treated successfully and in remission but died in 2010, aged 76, after suffering a stroke and a subsequent brain hemorrhage diagnosed in 1997 at age 63 amanda mealing (1967–present) british actress diagnosed in august 2002 at age 35 shelley morrison (1936–2019) born rachel mitrani, american actress; had a recurrence in 1998 and also battled lung cancer; died at age 83 of heart failure in 2019 diagnosed in 1988 at age 52 kitten natividad (1948–2022) mexican actress diagnosed in 1999 at age 51 alla nazimova (1879–1945) born marem-ides (adelaida yakovlevna) leventon, russian-born american actress; survived breast cancer, but died due to a coronary thrombosis at age 66 diagnosed in 1936 at age 57 phyllis newman (1933–2019) american tony award-winning actress and singer diagnosed in 1983 at age 50 cynthia nixon (1966–present) american actress diagnosed in 2006 at age 40 tig notaro (1971–present) born mathilde o'callaghan notaro, american comedian and actress diagnosed in 2012 at 41 patrícia pillar (1964–present) brazilian actress diagnosed in 2001 kelly preston (1962–2020) born kelly kamalelehua smith, american actress and model, diagnosed in 2018; died in 2020 at age 57 nancy priddy (1941–present) american retired actress and singer-songwriter; mother of american actress christina applegate diagnosed in 1978; recurrence in 1986 lynn redgrave (1943–2010) british-american oscar-nominated actress diagnosed in 2002 at age 59, died in 2010 at age 67 wendy richard (1943–2009) born wendy emerton, british actress; had a recurrence in 2002 at age 59, third recurrence in 2008, at which point it had metastasized; died in 2009 at age 65 diagnosed in 1995 at age 52 richard roundtree (1942–present) american actor diagnosed in 1993 at age 51 jaclyn smith (1947–present) american actress and businesswoman diagnosed in 2002 at age 55 dame maggie smith (1934–present) british oscar, tony and emmy award-winning actress diagnosed in 2008 at age 74 suzanne somers (1946–present) born suzanne marie mahoney; american actress and businesswoman diagnosed in 2001 at age 55 koo stark (1956–present) born kathleen norris stark, american former soft-porn actress; founded keep a breast cancer organization diagnosed in 2002 at age 46 archived 2008-05-12 at the wayback machine gloria stuart (1910–2010) born gloria stewart; american oscar-nominated actress; died in 2010 at age 100 from unrelated causes diagnosed circa 1982 stephanie swift (1972–present) american pornographic film actress and 2006 avn hall of fame inductee diagnosed in 2009 at age 37 wanda sykes (1964–present) american actress, stand-up comedian and writer diagnosed in 2011 at age 47 marcia wallace (1942–2013) american comedic actress, game show panelist, and voice artist diagnosed in 1985 at age 43 yoshiko tanaka (1956–2011) japanese actress, member of candies diagnosed in 1992 at age 37; died in 2011 at age 55 danitra vance (1954–1994) american comedian and actress; died at age 40 vivian vance (1909–1979) born vivian roberta jones; american actress and singer; died at age 70 samantha womack (1972–present) born samantha zoe janus; british actress and singer diagnosed in 2022 at age 49 aleksandra yakovleva (1957–2022) born aleksandra evgenievna ivanes; soviet and russian actress and businesswoman died in 2022 at age 64 business name life comments diagnosis reference generosa ammon (1956–2003) widow of (and one-time suspect in the murder of) american businessman and multimillionaire ted ammon; died at age 47 diagnosed in 2002 at age 46 mary-ellis bunim (1946–2004) american film/tv producer; died at age 57 diagnosed in 1995 at age 48 fiamma ferragamo (1941–1998) italian businessperson; died at age 57 ruth handler (1916–2002) born ruth marianna mosko, american creator of barbie and nearly me prosthetics; she survived breast cancer in the 1970s but died following colon cancer surgery at age 85 diagnosed in 1970 at age 54 kathy keeton (1939–1997) american penthouse publisher and wife of penthouse publisher bob guccione; died during surgery from complications after refusing chemotherapy and treating herself with hydrazine sulfate; died at age 58 diagnosed in 1995 at age 56 helen kushnick (1945–1996) american talent agent and television producer; died at age 51 diagnosed in 1987 at age 42 hala moddelmog (1956–present) american president and ceo of susan g. komen for the cure diagnosed in 2001 at age 45 gloria steinem (1934–present) american founder of ms. magazine, journalist, feminist and activist diagnosed in 1986 at age 52 miscellaneous name life comments diagnosis reference judi bari (1949–1997) american environmentalist and labor leader; died at age 47 jami bernard (1956–present) american author and film critic for the new york daily news diagnosed in 1996 at age 40 nancy brinker (1946–present) born nancy goodman, american breast cancer activist and founder of the susan g. komen for the cure, in honor of her sister diagnosed in 1984 at age 37 rose chan (1925–1987) born chan wai chang, chinese-born "queen of striptease" exotic dancer; died at age 62 diagnosed in 1980 at age 55 diana capponi (1953–2014) canadian mental health activist; died at age 61 katharine ellis coman (1857–1915) american social activist and professor diagnosed in 1911 around age 54; died in 1915, aged 57 j. d. disalvatore (1966–2017) american lgbt film and television producer/director and gay rights activist; died at age 51 judith campbell exner (1934–1999) born judith eileen katherine immoor, john f. kennedy relationship-related american celebrity; died at age 65 diagnosed in 1978 at age 44 sandra feldman (1940–2005) born sandra abramowitz, american teacher and union leader (american federation of teachers); died at age 65 diagnosed in 2002 at age 62 nayana ferguson n/a african-american businesswoman; first black woman to own a tequila company diagnosed in 2012 syvilla fort (1917–1975) african-american dancer and choreographer; died at age 58 fannie lou hamer (1917–1977) born fannie lou townsend, african-american anti-segregation activist; died at age 59 diagnosed in 1976 at age 58 jean keene (1923–2009) born jean marie hodgdon, "the eagle lady" of homer, alaska, famous for feeding 200-300 bald eagle daily during winter and early spring months for over 30 years diagnosed in winter 1994 at age 71; underwent mastectomy; died of a respiratory illness in 2009, aged 85. susan g. komen (1944–1980) born susan goodman, american breast cancer activist; sister of nancy brinker; died at age 36; namesake of the susan g. komen for the cure organization diagnosed in 1977 at age 33 juliette gordon low (1860–1927) born juliette magill kinzie gordon, american founder of girl scouts of the usa; died at age 67 diagnosed in 1923 at age 63 sister dora pattison (1832–1878) born dorothy wyndlow pattison, anglican nun and nurse; died at age 46 diagnosed in 1877 karin spaink (1957–present) dutch journalist, social critic, and feminist diagnosed at age 48 in 2006 athena starwoman (1945–2004) world-famous astrologer, columnist for vogue and woman's day; tv