Two years after learning she had breast cancer, actress Olivia Munn says her mom, Kim Schmid, has also been diagnosed.
In a statement shared via Instagram on Wednesday, July 9, Munn, 45, revealed that after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, she “urged my mother and sister to take the Breast Cancer Lifetime Risk Assessment test.”
The Breast Cancer Lifetime Risk Assessment test was the same test Munn took that resulted in her luminal B cancer diagnosis.
“My mother scored 26.2%,” Munn, who scored a 37.3% herself, explained on Wednesday, noting, “Anything above 20% is considered high risk for breast cancer and you should insist that your doctor order a breast MRI.”
“The Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment test saved my life and now my mom’s,” the actress continued, adding that despite Schmid’s yearly mammogram coming out clear, she “insisted she get an MRI” because of the high score.
“Shortly after that MRI, my mother was diagnosed with Stage 1 Her2 breast cancer,” Munn said. “She has since completed 12 rounds of chemo and will continue monthly Herceptin transfusions until this fall.”
Munn included photos of Schmid’s journey with breast cancer, much like she did during her own treatment. “From my mom being there after my double mastectomy to me being there after hers. From me having to find an oncologist, to my mom and I sharing one,” she wrote.
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“I can tell you this: going through cancer is really hard. But there’s something about watching a loved one go through it that is even more heartbreaking,” the mom of two, who shares children Malcolm, 3, and Méi, 9 months, with husband John Mulaney, said.
“My mom’s husband, Sam, and I learned everything we could about Her2, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, cold caps… I spent many nights taking care of my mom when the chemo became too much, wishing I could fight the fight for her, even if only for a day to give her a little break.”
Munn shared a message to those taking care of someone battling cancer, saying that ‘it’s no small feat to realize you can’t do it for them.”
“To anyone out there who is taking care of someone or has made it their profession to do so, thank you. These fights can feel near impossible without you.”
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Munn praised her mom for how she handled her various treatments, noting “how proud” she is of her, saying Schmid “handled all of this with bravery and humor while still driving us crazy.”
“Just days after her double mastectomy she tried to do laundry and make dinner,” Munn added. “She’s insane.”
Munn said she “never would’ve predicted” the Tyrer-Cuzick Risk Assessment test “would save my mom’s life as well” and encouraged anyone 30 years old or older to also take the test.
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“According to Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi,” Munn’s personal physician, “every woman should take the test starting at the age of 30. She advises recalculating anytime you have started hormone treatment, had a baby or have a relative newly diagnosed with breast cancer.”
“We’re taught about our periods, yearly Pap smears and mammograms at 40. And we now need every gynecologist to incorporate the lifetime risk test into their care plan. All of these things matter, you can’t leave one off. My mom wanted me to tell you that she hopes by sharing her story it will help save someone’s life.”
