Edie Falco's Past Breast Cancer Diagnosis, Explained

Despite being one of the most recognized faces on television, Edie Falco managed to keep her breast cancer diagnosis a secret. Speaking to Patient Resource, the "Sopranos" star revealed that in 2002, she did the first thing anyone should do when they feel a lump in their breast: She went to the doctor. However, the clinic she went to didn't identify it as a malignant tumor. It wasn't until September 2003 that Falco received the life-altering diagnosis after a second check-up. "I sort of blacked out when my doctor told me the news," the "Nurse Jackie" star said. "I was in a panic, to tell you the truth. I couldn't walk or breathe." 

Naturally, she was also furious with the clinic for not identifying her lump as breast cancer a year prior. For the treatment of her aggressive cancer, Falco underwent a lumpectomy, a surgery to remove the lump and part of the breast tissue, followed by chemotherapy and radiation. Similar to Chadwick Boseman and other celebrities who have kept their cancer diagnoses out of the spotlight, Falco continued working while quietly undergoing treatment. Opening up about her decision to keep her breast cancer diagnosis a secret in a 2008 Health Magazine interview (via the Boston Herald), the Emmy winner said that she didn't want to deal with a barrage of questions about her health from well-intentioned people. 

According to Falco, if people questioned her health, she would have to candidly tell them that she wasn't feeling her best and was losing her hair. When she appeared on "Anderson Live" in April 2012, she shared that, as a private person, she prefers leaning on her inner circle rather than uncomfortably receiving sympathy from larger groups of people.

Edie Falco ultimately opened up about her diagnosis in the summer of 2004, a few months after doctors declared her cancer-free. During her interview with Patient Resource, she revealed that she had to undergo seven years of hormone therapy as part of her post-cancer treatment. Although the post-treatment drugs brought their own side effects, Falco didn't mind them because they prevented her from getting cancer again. 

While the "Mayor of Kingstown" star reflected on her health journey, she admitted that she initially had grand ideas of the changes she would implement in her life once she became cancer-free. However, when she reached that milestone, she admittedly found herself nitpicking the same things as before. Despite everything, she couldn't deny that her breast cancer diagnosis impacted her in ways she couldn't immediately understand. "After you sit across from your doctor and hear that you have got cancer, it changes you at a cellular level," Falco said. "It is pretty deep when you think that your life can be cut short." 

After her cancer treatment, Falco recognized she had found one important thing: clarity. In a June 2009 issue of O, The Oprah Magazine, Falco shared that throughout her life, she had been unsure whether she wanted children. However, after wrapping up treatment, all her reservations melted away, and she knew she would be comfortable being a single mother. The celebrated actor went on to adopt her son, Anderson, in 2005 and her daughter, Macy, in 2008.