Rachel Zegler has spoken out about an "extremely scary" breast cancer scare to help raise awareness of the disease.
The 21-year-old West Side Story star took her social media to open up about her health and said she found a small lump in one of her breasts during the pandemic's peak when she was 19 years old.
Zegler shared the experience in a post to her Instagram Story (now-expired) on Saturday, September 24, and described it as "the scariest week" of her life.
"Two years ago I found a lump in my breast and went through what was undoubtedly the scariest week of my life," she wrote over a black and white photo.
Check out Zegler's Instagram story below:
"No OB/GYN was taking new patients due to the backlog of the pandemic, but I was fortunate to have the care of my pediatrician who prescribed me an ultrasound, which led to an out-patient biopsy procedure," she continued.
Following tests, the Snow White actress said she was grateful to discover that the lump was a fibroadenoma - a non-cancerous solid lump of tissue.
"Thankfully it was benign. And now the scar serves as a reminder to check my breasts regularly for any irregular growth – the fibroadenoma in my left breast is a common occurrence but nevertheless extremely scary to find," she said.
"Early detection saves lives!!! Check your titty meat," Zegler concluded, encouraging her followers to regularly check their breasts.
Biopsies are one of the diagnostic tools used to examine whether a lump is cancerous or benign. It involves a small sample of tissue being extracted from the breast through a needle, which is then tested.
The American Cancer Society has notified people that breast cancer is the most common cancer for women in the United States, with an estimated 287,850 new cases in 2022.
According to the ACS, the most common symptom of breast cancer is a new lump or mass, but other symptoms are possible. These include breast skin irritation, nipple discharge that's not breast milk, swelling of part of the breast, and more.
However, the organization encouraged people to get regular breast cancer screenings even if they don't get any symptoms as a way of being cautious of the disease.
The Golden Globe winner has long used her social media channels to discuss her mental and physical health. In a 2018 tweet, she courageously disclosed that she suffers from anxiety and depression.
"Hello. My name is Rachel. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and occasionally feel depersonalized/disassociated from reality," she wrote on Twitter.
"I am a work in progress. I am finding the common ground between me and my mind. And that's enough. But please, ask if I'm okay. #EndTheStigma," she added.
Next up for the actress is starring in Disney's highly anticipated live-action adaptation of Snow White in March 2024.
Zegler is also set to star in Shazam! Fury of the Gods which arrives in movie theaters on March 17, 2023, and is also set to reunite onscreen with her West Side Story co-star and real-life boyfriend Josh Andres Rivera in the upcoming Hunger Games prequel.
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