Constance Zimmer Reveals Secret Breast Cancer Battle: 'Pure Shock and Fear'

Constance Zimmer has played plenty of tough characters, but nothing compares to what she was dealing with off screen. TheEntouragestar revealed on Instagram that she was diagnosed with DCIS, also known as Stage 0 breast cancer, on March 13 while she was away from home. She kept the news inside a very small circle, telling only her daughter Colette and her husband Russ Lamoureux.

What makes the story hit harder is what was happening around her at the same time. She was on a press tour forLove Storyand celebrating an Emmy nomination, all while doctors were recommending a mastectomy. Zimmer chose a lumpectomy instead, which led to three surgeries in three weeks followed by radiation. In her own words, it was“from hospital gowns to Emmy glamour.”She now says she is cancer free.

Zimmer shared the news during Breast Cancer Awareness Month for a reason. Stage 0 cancer often comes with no lump and no obvious symptom, which means screening is how it gets caught. Her story is a nudge for anyone who has been pushing that appointment to the bottom of the list.

Have you scheduled your screening this year, or is it still on the to-do list?