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ABC's Stand Up To Cancer 2021© GettyImages

Sofia Vergara opens up about her thyroid cancer diagnosis

The actress was one of the hosts of a Stand Up To Cancer special.


Maria Loreto
Senior Writer
UPDATED AUGUST 22, 2021 11:34 AM EDT

In a Stand Up To Cancer televised program, Sofia Vergara discussed her experience with developing thyroid cancer at age 28.

The Stand Up To Cancer event was attended by dozens of A-List celebrities, including Katie Couric, Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Garner. Sofia, who was one of the hostesses of the event, spoke about her personal experience with the disease, sharing the details of her diagnosis and reaction.

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“At 28 years old during a routine doctor‘s visit, my doctor felt a lump in my neck,” Sofia said. “They did a lot of tests and told finally me I had thyroid cancer. When you’re young and you hear that word ‘Cancer,’ your mind goes to so many places but I tried not to panic and I decided to get educated.”

“I read every book and found out everything I could about it. I was fortunate to have caught it early and to have the support of my doctors and most importantly, my family. I learned a lot during that time, not just about thyroid cancer but I also learned that in times of crisis, we‘re better together.”

ABC's Stand Up To Cancer 2021© GettyImages
Reese Witherspoon is one of Stand Up To Cancer’s most prominent figures.

Stand Up To Cancer is a charity that provides research and funds for cancer treatments, pushing for life-saving discoveries that could eliminate some of the tolls of the disease. It also has an important presence on the entertainment industry, thus reaching a very large audience and amassing significant notoriety.

Katie Couric, one of the founders of Stand Up To Cancer, shared her real-life experience with the disease, how she lost her husband and sister to it, and how that made her join others who wanted to do something against cancer, trying to find a solution to such a large problem. “I realized I had to do something so I joined forces with eight remarkable women and we launched Stand Up To Cancer with a mission to make every cancer patient a long-term survivor through the power of collaboration, both inside and outside the lab,” she said.

ABC's Stand Up To Cancer 2021© GettyImages
Sofia Vergara shared her personal experiences with the disease.

The event had the participation of Cecily Strong, Bradley Cooper, Matthew McCoughnahey, and Simone Boseman, who last year lost her husband, Chadwick Boseman, to colon cancer.