Ananda Lewis, Former MTV VJ and TV Show Host, Dies at 52

[tulipsandroses]

Ananda Lewis, a former MTV VJ, has died after a battle with stage 4 breast cancer. She was 52.
So sad. Rest in power dear Ananda -

SNIP------

In 2020, she revealed in an Instagram video that she had been diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, noting at the time that she had not been getting mammograms done regularly due to radiation fears. “This is tough for me, but if just ONE woman decides to get her mammogram after watching this, what I’m going through will be worth it,” she wrote in the caption. “PRACTICE EARLY DETECTION.”

Several years later, she shared during a discussion with CNN’s Stephanie Elam and Sara Sidner in 2024 that she went against medical advice and didn’t undergo a double mastectomy following her breast cancer diagnosis. Her tumor then metastasized and her cancer progressed to stage 4.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/ananda-lewis-dead-mtv-vj-1236263206/

[FirstLight]

1. No! So sad 😢

Jesus she's younger than me and I'm only 55. What a horrible way to go...

🥺🕯️ Rip fellow GenXer... she was a part of an Era...

[tulipsandroses]

2. "She was a part of an Era." Indeed. We Gen Xers are the MTV Generation. We didn't have Youtube, Facebook or Twitter

But we had MTV!

[IA8IT]

3. BRCA gene test looks for DNA changes that increase the risk of breast cancer.

My wife lost her fight. Her sister survived. Their extended family have been taking the test and found some mutations and vigilant getting checkups. As ever test is expensive and insurance companies drag their feet approving tests.

Ananda Lewis taken way too soon.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/brca-gene-test/about/pac-20384815

The BRCA gene test looks for DNA changes that increase the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It uses a sample of blood or saliva to look for the changes.

DNA is the genetic material inside cells. It holds the instructions, called genes, that tell cells what to do. Harmful changes in the genes can increase the risk of cancer. Healthcare professionals sometimes call these gene changes variants or mutations.

The BRCA gene test looks for changes in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. Other genes also can increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Some genetic tests look for these other genes in addition to the BRCA genes. A genetic test that looks at many different genes is called a multigene panel test.

A healthcare professional can help you decide whether genetic testing is right for you. The gene changes that increase the risk of breast and ovarian cancer are passed from parents to children. So the health professional considers your personal and family history of cancer when making a recommendation. Genetic testing isn't routinely done on people with an average risk of breast and ovarian cancer.