Fans of the “Anatomy of Gray” and “Private Practice” know Kate Walsh as a surgeon-Extraordinaire Dr. Addison Forbes Montgomery. But the actress has also dealt with some harsh camera health problems, including her two parents who have cancer.
So when Walsh learned about a new blood test that can examine cancer before the symptoms occur, he wanted to be part of the innovation. “It’s really about spreading awareness, and for me, if I had a parent who was still alive. I would make them take this test,” Walsh said.
Walsh has collaborated with Healthcare Company, Grail Inc., on Generation-an educational campaign to raise awareness of early detection tests (MCED). “It’s science that was not available before – so it is possible to generate,” Walsh said. “And to have this access is incredible, so I encourage everyone to check it out and see if it’s right for them.”
While MCED tests do not diagnose cancer, it can be used along with other sorting tests for people who are at higher risk for cancer due to family history or other risk factors. The blood test, which must be ordered by a healthcare provider and is not covered by insurance at the moment, screens for a signal sharing more than 50 different types of cancer – many who do not have recommended control tests. If a signal is detected, the test provides where it comes from.
We talked to Walsh about MCED tests and the importance of supporting your health.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Why is it important for you to be part of the production?
This is something that had no other generation before. A simple blood test will be viewed for many different types of cancer – even some of the most deadly.
This was not available even 20 years ago – not available in my first days. It was not available at all during my parents’ generation.
Both of my parents had cancer. My dad died of lung cancer when I was 23 years old and my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and survived at the age of 62. He was able to live for another 30 years, so I am very grateful for that.
But I think most of us have got a call where we have discovered someone who is interested in cancer – and is always a fist in the gut and scary. And so, in order to have this type of timely detection, this is the strong generation, because we know that early detection allows for more treatment options. And I was particularly interested in, since people over 50 are 13 times more likely to have cancer than not.
Another reason I wanted to participate in this initiative is awareness. Go genposible.com – There is a quiz to get – especially if you have a history of cancer in your family. There are also talks and information on how to talk to your doctor about whether the test is a good choice for you.
How did you change your parents’ travels with cancer?
I was young enough when my father was diagnosed and eventually died. He was given six months to live, and this is just a terrible information to have your parent – no matter how old you are.
And then, with my mother, she was also so shocking. One of the things that really surprised me was that it was 62 when it was diagnosed, and I was under the impression that if you went through the 20, 30s, 40s and 50s without getting cancer, you are a bit of a scot free.
It was really interesting for me to know that people over 50 are 13 times more likely to have cancer. So when I discovered that my mother was diagnosed at 62, though she lived another 30 years and had a double mastectomy – she was shocking. You are grateful for life, after all, but it is still gloomy.
I began to take early breast exams because of this, and this was the first time I really realized, as a young woman, as a patient, that I had to support myself because it was not common to take early mammograms then even with family history.
Diagnosed with meningioma in 2015 – a brain disease that is more common in women than men. What do you want women to know about your experience?
Meningioma is about twice as much as women of men – another thing that happens to women as they grow up.
I am very lucky that mine was benign. It was once again that I really had to support myself. As soon as I started to feel very tired and people were like, “Oh, you’re tired – you’re done with the television show” Bad Judge ” – just canceled”, and how easy it is to question our own signs and symptoms. But I just knew something was wrong.
Eventually I pushed and saw a neurologist who, even then, was like: “You’re probably hormonal or going through menopause – you’re an actor, you don’t work”, and try to talk to me. But I really pushed to get a magnetic resonance imaging, and then there was – a large enough volume to my head that was very fortunately benign. But this was not discovered until he got there and was able to remove all this. And thank God – I am very grateful. All my life changed.
I did all the clichĂ© things while I was going through it – if I got out of it, I would spend more time with family and less working time – but I was really keeping this promise to keep a job/life balance.
And I pledged to do all these basic, tiring things to take care of myself. Part of my self care does less and sleeps more and sleeps a lot. By practicing and eating healthy and knowing that when I do not eat healthy, I will feel it.
Speaking of exercise, we know that you like to do hot yoga. Would you rather go to hot yoga with McDreamy or McSteamy?
Oh. I have my own real life McDreamy and Mcsteamy-my fiancĂ©, Andrew Nixon, so I would get. I’m very lucky.
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