‘I Held My Breath..’ – Chris Evert Details Life’s Terrifying Moment Before Heaving a Sigh of Relief From Cancer Battle

Chris Evert is certainly one of the greatest players the sport has seen. She dominated the WTA Tour in the 1970s and 80s. Despite enjoying an incredible tennis career, Evert has often faced several difficulties in her personal life. And none was greater than her battle with cancer in 2021. Recently, Evert wrote on ESPN about her current situation and it is certainly something that will help her fans and well-wishers breathe a sigh of relief.

The 18-time Grand Slam champion discovered last year that she had ovarian cancer thanks to her sister’s diagnosis of the same. She and her sister shared the same variant of BRCA-1, which led to the unfortunate passing of Jeanne Evert Dubin in February 2020. 

Getting tested saved Evert’s life

Chris was at first told the variant of her sister was of “uncertain significance”. However, in November 2021, she was told that the BRCA-1 variant her sister had could be problematic. Subsequently, she had planned for an emergency hysterectomy to prevent any future problems. But her reports showed signs of malignant cells and a tumor.

“Within days, I had a simple blood test that confirmed I had the same BRCA-1 variant Jeanne did. I immediately scheduled a preventative hysterectomy. But when my pathology report came back, my doctors and I were stunned to find that I had malignant cells and a tumor in my left fallopian tube.” she wrote on ESPN.

Read More: After Fighting Cancer for Months, Chris Evert Urges People to Get Serious About Their Health – ‘It Could Save Your Life’

Evert further elaborated on the day that she got the happy news concerning her ailment. She wrote, “On Dec. 1, 2022, a year to the day after my hysterectomy, I had a double mastectomy. I held my breath while I waited for my pathology results. Luckily, the report came back clean and clear, and my risk of developing breast cancer has been reduced by more than 90%.”

Chris Evert urges others to get tested

Even though she is well right now, she believes her journey to a full recovery is still going on. With ovarian cancer gone, she is still at risk of developing breast cancer or pancreatic cancer associated with BRCA-1.

 “When it comes to deciding between surveillance or surgery, everyone’s choice is personal. The most important thing is not to leave things to chance. Of the 25 million women and men worldwide who have a BRCA mutation, only 10% know they are carriers,” she elaborated on her point of view.

She also went through with other procedures to ensure she was healthy, and her test results reflect that fact. Chris shared her story to encourage other people to also get tested to make sure they are just as healthy. Even though the test results can be scary, dealing with unforeseen circumstances can be worse.

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