This morning on “Good Morning America,” Food Network star Sandra Lee revealed that she was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and is scheduled to undergo a mastectomy this week.
Us Weekly reports that Lee also announced that doctors found it early with a routine mammogram, and it had not spread elsewhere in her body. Her doctors have also recommended a double mastectomy, to be safe.
The 48-year-old celebrity chef is determined to first get better; second, to make sure the rest of the women in her family get screened.
“My first focus is to get the surgery done and recover,” she said. “After that I’ll be all over my sisters and nieces to get tested. I don’t care that my niece is 23 years old.”
Lee joins the ranks of stars like Giuliana Rancic, Angelina Jolie and Kelly Osbourne, who have all recently spoken publicly about breast cancer — either their experiences with the disease to their plans to undergo preventive surgeries. Both Jolie and Rancic have had double mastectomies, while Osbourne said she intends to have her ovaries removed after learning that she carries the breast cancer gene. (Her mother, Sharon Osbourne, had a preventative mastectomy in 2012.)
Lee is the longtime girlfriend of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. His office announced he will be taking personal time from his position during her operation and recovery.
READ MORE: Is Getting a Preventive Mastectomy the Best Way to Beat Cancer?
