Sofia Vergara Secretly Beat Thyroid Cancer

Colombian actress Sofía Vergara recently shared the story of her success against battling thyroid cancer 20 years ago. Vergara revealed the inspiring story last Saturday, when she appeared on a telecast for the non-profit co-founded by journalist Katie Couric, Stand Up To Cancer. Sofia was there to co-host the event, and with her help, the charity has already raised a couple of hundred million dollars intended to fund research for cancer.

Sofia Vergara is famously known for her role as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the critically-acclaimed ABC comedy series Modern Family which earned her multiple nominations for Golden Globe Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her popularity and success made her the highest paid American television actress from the year 2013 up to 2020, and the highest-paid Hollywood actress in the year 2020. The Latina icon has been a judge of America’s Got Talent since 2020.

The Barranquilla native shared that the cancer was discovered when she was 28 years old. Her doctor felt a lump on her neck during a routine check-up, and she had several tests done to her until her doctor told her she had thyroid cancer. While surprised with hearing the word cancer, Vergara didn’t panic and instead chose to focus to be educated, and learn about her diagnosis. She read many books to know everything she could about her disease.

Speaking with Health.com in 2011 about her thyroid cancer, the actress deliberately chose not to disclose her diagnosis to the public as she didn’t want the attention while dealing with her sickness, while also going through several treatment. Vergara had to undergo surgery in order to remove her thyroid gland, and she then had several sessions of radiation therapy after that. She now takes thyroid hormone pill every single day to make up for her lack of thyroid gland.

The actress felt very lucky for the early diagnosis of her disease, comparing herself to thousands of women who only get diagnosed in their menopausal stage, which is too late for treatment by then. According to American Cancer Society, thyroid cancer can be diagnosed at an early age and is more common on women. One’s family history, obesity, and prior exposure to radiation are contributing factor to the disease and could increase the risk for the development of the cancer.

Sofia Vergara further relayed that her journey to overcoming the disease was helped by its early detection. Many doctors have expressed concerns that the coronavirus pandemic has affected women and men and has hindered them from visiting health care professionals. Medical experts have stressed the increasing importance of maintaining regular check-ups and screenings, as missed appointments could lead to late diagnosis of cancer and other serious illness.

Adding to her story during the telecast of Stand Up To Cancer, Vergara said that she felt fortunate that she had caught the disease in her younger years, while also being grateful to have the support of her doctors and her family. She learned during this difficult time that it is better together in times of crisis. She added that team spirit and team effort are needed to battle and end cancer.

Sofia Vergara now lives cancer-free and dedicates some of her time for advocating, campaigning, and helping charities for cancer research.