Good Morning America correspondent Amy Robach has announced she will undergo a double mastectomy this week, a month after having a mammogram on the programme. The 40-year-old discovered she had breast cancer after reluctantly agreeing to the screening for an ABC segment.
Robach said she was persuaded by co-anchor Robin Roberts, who told her that if the story saved one life, it would be worthwhile. 'It never occurred to me that life would be mine,' Robach revealed.
The mammogram was part of GMA Goes Pink, a breast cancer awareness day. Producers chose Robach because women are advised to begin regular screenings at age 40. She initially emerged from the test saying it hurt less than expected, but weeks later was called back for follow-up images and diagnosed with cancer.
Doctors have not yet determined the stage of the cancer or whether it has spread. Robach's husband, actor Andrew Shue, and her parents rushed to New York to support her. 'We started gearing up for a fight,' she said. She will have both breasts removed on Thursday, followed by reconstructive surgery.
Robach joined ABC in 2012 from NBC, where she was a Weekend Today host. She often filled in on GMA while Roberts was being treated for a blood and bone marrow disease. Robach admitted she had always put off having a mammogram due to her busy schedule and two children. 'I can only hope my story will inspire every woman who hears it to get a mammogram, to take a self-exam,' she said.
