Celebrity Chef And Author Sandra Lee Reveals She Has Breast Cancer; Doctor Calls Her Poster Girl For Mammography

Television personality and author Sandra Lee revealed that she’s battling breast cancer. Lee broke the news in an interview with "Good Morning America" Tuesday morning.

The celebrity chef will undergo a double mastectomy this week. “Life can turn on a dime,” she told People magazine after learning she had cancer on her right breast. She said she chose to undergo a double mastectomy because she didn’t want to be subjected to weeks of daily radiation and doesn’t want to go through the disease again.

She also shared that her doctor calls her a poster girl for mammography since she only learned she had the disease during a routine mammogram exam. Lee said she plans to spread the importance of early detection to women after she recovers from her operation.

Lee was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ, or DCIS, a "common noninvasive cancer within the milk ducts that can become invasive over time if left untreated." The common treatment for DCIS is a lumpectomy followed by radiation or a mastectomy, and the remission rates are high, according to People's report.

Lee's longtime partner, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, plans to be in the operating room during her procedure, which is scheduled later this week. According to Observer, Cuomo was devastated when he learned his partner of 10 years has breast cancer. He praised his girlfriend for her resiliency in coping with the news and for revealing her illness to the public.

Cuomo is plans to take some personal time to support Lee during her operation and recovery. Her sister, Kimber, has also put her life on hold, leaving her sons and husband in Seattle as she stays with Lee during her first month of recovery.

Lee is a celebrity chef, TV personality and writer. She is best known for hosting Food Network shows such as "Semi-Homemade Cooking" and "Sandra’s Money Saving Meals." There were also plans for Lee to launch a lifestyle show with ABC, Page Six reports. No other details were shared about the new show.

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