'Too young to have breast cancer': Rates among young Canadian women rising
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Selma Blair says she's in remission from multiple sclerosis as a result of undergoing a stem cell transplant.
The 49-year-old actor, best known for such movies as "Cruel Intentions," "Legally Blonde" and "Hellboy," was diagnosed with the disease in 2018.
"My prognosis is great. I'm in remission," Blair told a Television Critics Association panel on Monday.
She underwent hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation which uses stem cells derived from bone marrow, peripheral blood or umbilical cord blood.
"It took about a year after stem cell for the inflammation and lesions to really go down, so I was reluctant to talk about it because I felt this need to be more healed," she said. "I don't have any new lesions forming."
According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective myelin sheath that covers nerve fibers. It can cause vision loss, pain, fatigue and impaired coordination. Its cause is unknown.
"There's still maintenance, treatment and glitches, and wonderful things," said Blair, who at times spoke in a halting voice on Zoom.
"Cognitively, I'm very changed and that's been the harder part," she added.
The actor reveals her fight with MS in "Introducing, Selma Blair," an intimate documentary directed by Rachel Fleit. It debuts Oct. 15 in theaters and begins streaming Oct. 21 on Discovery+.
"Selma was ready to tell this story in all of its honesty and rawness and truth," Fleit said. "She had a few medical emergencies during filming. When she was like, `Yes, show it all,' I was like, `This is extraordinary."'
Last week, actor Christina Applegate, who is the same age as Blair, revealed her own MS diagnosis.
Blair said she had been experiencing symptoms for years before she was officially diagnosed.
"I've been carrying around some sort of chronic illness, either building up or had for a long time, so it wasn't a surprise to me," she said. "Just the name was a surprise."
Blair is a single mother to her 10-year-old son, Arthur, whom she credits as the source of her strength. Her mother, Molly Ann Cooke, died in May 2020 at age 82. Blair was unable to visit her in her home state of Michigan because of the coronavirus pandemic.
"I really do feel now, with this pandemic, we've all gotten a kind of diagnosis that's incurable. It's called living right now," she said. "Everyone has really realized our mortality. It taught me a lot more patience and understanding."
At times, Blair said, she wishes she could go home to Michigan and recover quietly. But she also relishes her ability to raise awareness and provide encouragement to others.
"I never really liked life, I do now. Strange, huh?" she said. "I was so scared in life, so to suddenly start to find an identity and a safety in me, and figure out boundaries and time management and energy, I'm having the time of my life."
Breast cancer rates are rising in Canada among women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, according to research by the University of Ottawa (uOttawa).
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
As more Canadians find themselves struggling to afford or find housing, the country's smallest province is the only one that can point to legislation recognizing housing as a human right.
A CSIS officer's allegations that she was raped repeatedly by a superior in agency vehicles set off a harassment inquiry, but also triggered an investigation into her that concluded the alleged attacks were a “misuse” of agency vehicles by the woman.
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
Environmentalist groups are sounding the alarm about a steep increase in the number of pro-plastic lobbyists at the UN pollution talks taking place this week.
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.