Giuliana Rancic To Undergo Double Mastectomy
Dec. 5 2011, Published 4:30 a.m. ET
By Adam S. Levy - RadarOnline.com Staff Writer
Giuliana Rancic, who announced she’s battling breast cancer in October, told the Today Show on Monday early treatments were ineffective, so she’s going to have a double mastectomy.
“Instead of radiation, I’m going to go ahead and move forward,“ Rancic -- flanked by her husband Bill -- told Ann Curry about the procedure, in which both of her breasts will be surgically removed.
Rancic, who’s been public about her desire to have a child, said alternative treatments would have put her into early menopause, but that’s not the factor spurring the bold decision.
“To be honest, at the end, all it came down to was choosing to live and not looking over my shoulder the rest of my life,” she said.
Bill, 40, kept a strong demeanor as he explained the technical aspects of their decision.
“We were faced with a decision to make ... this wasn’t a decision that was made lightly, we talked to as many experts as we could ... in this particular case, this is the best option for Giuliana.”
The E! host, 37, said the procedure will leave her with a less-than-1 percent chance of the cancer returning. She said Bill inspirationally told her, “I just need you around for the next 50 years, kid -- I don’t care what you look like ... so let’s just get you healthy” which bolstered her decision to go for the procedure.
VIDEO: Giuliana Rancic Says She’s Undergoing Double Mastectomy
She went into further detail about how her husband has helped her through the process.
“Bill has been the world to me through this,” she continued. “I couldn't have done it without Bill. Even right from the beginning, when we found out we had the option about mastectomy, we went in the backyard and I remember -- in typical Bill fashion -- he pulled out a yellow legal pad and made a pros and cons list of the mastectomy.
“And he just -- he brought some laughter to the process, some light to it and just kept reminding me who we are as a couple and that none of this is going to break us apart or get us down or affect our love for each other. In fact, it's just made it stronger and I couldn't be more at peace with the decision, but it was hard, and I still break down some nights when it's quiet in bed.
“It's easy to just start crying and be very sad,” Giuliana said, “but I'm OK.”
The supportive spouse said he’s focused on the finish line, adding he hopes the cancer scare will be over by the holidays.
Other celebrity cancer survivors who’ve undergone the harrowing procedure include Christina Applegate, Wanda Sykes and Ann Jillian.
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