«Gray’s Anatomy» and «Private Practice» fans know Kate Walsh as a surgeon-extratraordinary Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery. But the actress has also dealt with some difficult health problems outside the camera, including her two parents who have cancer.
Then, when Walsh learned of a new blood test that can detect cancer before symptoms appear, he wanted to be part of innovation. «It’s really about spreading consciousness, and for me, if I had a father who was still alive, he would make them take this test,» Walsh said.
Walsh has been associated with Healthcare Company, Grail Inc., in the possible generation, an educational campaign to raise awareness about early detection tests (MCED) of multiple cancer. «It is the science that was not available before, so generation is possible,» Walsh said. «And having this access is incredible, so I encourage everyone to see it and see if it is suitable for them.»
While MCED tests do not diagnose cancer, it can be used together with other detection tests for people who have a higher risk of cancer due to a family history or other risk factors. The blood analysis, which must be ordered by a medical care provider and is not covered by insurance at this time, shows a signal shared by more than 50 different types of cancer, many that do not have recommended detection tests. If a signal is detected, the test predicts where it comes from.
We talked to Walsh about MCE tests and the importance of advocating your health.
This interview has been edited for clarity and duration.
Why is it important that you are part of the possible generation?
This is something that no other generation has had before. A simple blood test will stop for many different types of cancer, even some of the most mortal.
This was not available even 20 years ago, I was not available in my early days. It was not available at all during the generation of my parents.
My two parents had cancer. My father died of lung cancer when he was 23, and my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and survived at age 62. He could live others almost 30 years, so I’m quite grateful for that.
But I think that most of us have received a call where we have discovered that someone who cares for has cancer, and it is always a blow to the intestine and scary. And so, to have this type of early detection, that’s what the generation is about, because we know that early detection allows more treatment options. And he was particularly interested since people over 50 are 13 times more likely to obtain cancer than not.
Another reason why I wanted to be part of this initiative is to disseminate consciousness. Gonna Genepssible.com – There is a test to take, especially if you have a history of cancer in your family. There are also conversation entrants and information about how to talk to your doctor about whether the test is a good option for you.
How did your parents ‘parents’ travel changed with cancer?
He was quite young when my father was diagnosed and finally died. He was given six months to live, and that is just a terrible information about his parents, regardless of the age he is.
And then, with my mother, it was also so shocking. One of the things that really surprised me was that he was 62 when he was diagnosed, and I had the impression that if you exceed your 20, 30, 40 and 50 years without obtaining cancer, you are not without Scottish.
It was really interesting for me to learn that people over 50 are 13 times more likely to get cancer. Then, when I discovered that my mother was diagnosed at age 62, although she lived another almost 30 years and had a double mastectomy, she was shocking. You are grateful for life, ultimately, but it is still discordant.
I began to obtain the exams of the early breasts for that, and that was the first time I really understood, as a young woman, as a patient, that I had to advocate for myself because it was not common to obtain early mammograms at that time even with family history.
He was diagnosed with meningioma in 2015, a brain disease that is more common in women than in men. What do you want women to know about your experience?
Meningioma is approximately twice as common in women than in men, another thing that happens for women as they age.
I am very lucky that mine was benign. That was another moment when I really had to advocate for myself. I began to feel very tired and people said: «Oh, you are tired, you have finished with the television program ‘Bad Judge’, which has just canceled», and really how easy it is to question our own signs and symptoms. But I only knew something was wrong.
I finally pressed and saw a neurologist who, even then, said: «You are probably hormonal or through menopause, you are an actress, you are not working,» and tried to convince me. But I really pressed to get a magnetic resonance, and then there, a quite large tumor in my head that fortunately was benign. But that was not discovered until they got there and could eliminate everything. And thank God, I am very grateful. All my life changed.
I did all the things I clich while I checked it, if I left this, ok, I will spend more time with the family and less time working, but I really kept that promise to maintain a work/life balance.
And I promised to do all these basic and tedious things to take care of myself. Part of taking care of myself is doing less and sleeping more and sleeping a lot. Exercise and eat healthy and know that when not as healthy, I will feel it.
Speaking of exercise, we know you like to do hot yoga. Do you prefer to go to hot yoga with McDreamy or McSteamy?
Oh my God. I have my own real life McDreamy and McSteamy, my fiance, Andrew Nixon, so that is what I would take. I am very lucky.
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