Breast Cancer: What You Can Do to Avoid It

This year, more than 210,000 American women will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, and almost 40,000 will lose their battle with the illness, while one in nine women in the United States will develop it at some point during their lifetime. Rita Wilson's own experience with the disease has made her an advocate for breast-cancer aware­ness; since 1997, she has helped raise more than $14 million as a member of the Cedars-Sinai Research for Women's Cancers group, in tandem with Saks Fifth Avenue, with the annual fundraiser An Unforgettable Evening. 

Harper's Bazaar : Of the many charities out there, why did you choose Cedars-Sinai Research for Women's Cancers?

Rita Wilson : I lost an aunt to breast cancer. It's such a terrible disease. And I like that they don't focus solely on breast cancer--it's ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, anything related to us girls. What also appeals to me is that there's no bureaucracy. When we get the money, it goes straight into the fund. If the hospital needs something, they ask, and the fund writes them a check instantly.

HB: Tell me about your personal experience with cancer.

RW: I had a benign breast lump removed in 1987. If that's not enough to get you scared, I don't know what is.

HB: How did this event change you?

RW: It was scary. You begin to think, I'm not unique--this could absolutely be happening to me. I became more vigilant about my health. I do monthly breast checks and get yearly mammograms.

HB: Did you find the lump yourself or did your doctor discover it?

RW: I found it myself. The truth of the matter is, early detection is a cure in a way. You have to be vigilant about it and not be afraid, and go see your doctor if you have to.

HB: What do you think is the most important thing for women to do to help protect themselves against breast cancer?

RW: It has to be the monthly breast self-exam. It is crucial to have an awareness of your own body and the changes in it.

HB: How does your involvement benefit the Cedars-Sinai group?

RW: I think that what I bring to the table is the ability to call up my friends and say, "Will you please perform?" "Will you please allow us to honor you?" "Will you please come and introduce or emcee?" or whatever.

HB: Your husband, Tom Hanks, also participates with fundraising efforts. How did you persuade him to join you?

RW: It's a no-brainer, right? If he hadn't gotten involved, wouldn't you be mad at him? He's never missed an event either.

HB: In 1999, you received the group's Woman of Courage Award [now called the Courage Award], which honors those who have committed their lives to helping others. How did that feel?

RW: It was very bittersweet. Around that time, a dear friend of mine, Liz Tilberis [then editor in chief of Harper's Bazaar], was dying of ovarian cancer. The people who are most courageous are the ones who go through the illness and the treatment and, hopefully, the recovery. Those people -- ­and the ones who take care of the ill--they're extraordinary. So I felt a little like I didn't really deserve it. I suppose there's some value in being able to do a lot of work and show up at an event and get an award... but I didn't really feel worthy of it.

HB: Is there enough research being done on breast cancer?

RW: Until there's a cure, there's not enough being done. ­