Sharon Stone reflects on breast tumour surgery: ‘I am not a person defined by my breasts’

Sharon Stone has spoken candidly about her breast tumour surgery and revealed that she had more tissue removed after the initial procedure.

The 65-year-old spoke reflected on the tumour removal surgery during an interview with People on Thursday, while attending a fundraiser for the Women’s Cancer Research Fund. She recalled how she was told that she had cancer, before later learning that she did not have the illness.

“[I was] told that I had breast cancer, because I had a tumour that was larger than my breast — and they were sure that I couldn’t possibly have that tumour without it being cancer,” she said. “But I went into the hospital saying, ‘If you open me up and it’s cancer, please take my breasts, because I am not a person defined by my breasts.’”

The actor also told the publication that she had another surgery to remove tissue from her breast, which she said that people didn’t know about.

“And that might seem funny coming from me since you’ve all seen them. But let me tell you something else — you’ve seen them since the surgery, and you don’t know it,” she explained.

The Casino star then emphasised how important it is to trust your instincts and prioritise your physical health.

“So don’t ever feel compelled not to get a mammogram, not to get a blood test, not to get surgery, because it doesn’t matter,” she added. “I’m standing here telling you I had one and a half and more tissue of my breast removed, and none of you even knew it.”

As reported by People, Stone sent a message to the women at the fundraiser who “had or is dealing with breast cancer” and asked them to “stand up”. After encouraging  them to be “brave,” when supporting breast cancer research, she went on to detail how she has resonated with their experiences.

“We’ve done that, and we’ve walked away without our breasts. Some of us have walked away without our friends, our moms, our sisters, our daughters, our wives,” she said. “I can tell you, my kids’ godparents died from [the] BRCA gene. I’ve lost a lot of friends to this. I don’t want to lose anymore.”

Over the years, Stone has spoken candidly about her tumour surgeries and her physical health. On Instagram in November, The Basic Instinct star said that she “just had another misdiagnosis and incorrect procedure”. She noted that after her pain worsened, she sought a second opinion from medical professionals, at which point she said she learned she has a “large fibroid tumour”.

“[With] worsening pain went for a SECOND OPINION: I have a large fibroid tumour that must come out,” she wrote. “Ladies in particular: Don’t get blown off. GET A SECOND OPINION. It can save your life…Thx for your care. It’s all good.”

During an interview with The Times in 2021, she also revealed that doctors had to remove benign tumours from her body that were “gigantic, bigger than my breasts alone” in 2001. She said that when she woke up from the surgery, her doctor told her that he thought that she’d “look better with bigger, ‘better’ boobs.”

“When I was unbandaged, I discovered that I had a full cup-size bigger breasts, ones that he said ‘go better with your hip size’. He had changed my body without my knowledge or consent,” Stone explained.

Stone also previously spoke about the importance of women’s health while opening up about the nine miscarriages she suffered before adopting her sons: Roan, 22, Laird, 17, and Quinn, 16.

“Female health and wellness left to the care of the male ideology has become lax at best, ignorant in fact, and violently oppressive in effort,” she wrote on Instagram in June 2022.