Drew Barrymore has offered a poignant glimpse into her health journey, sharing a recent "scare" she experienced after undergoing her annual mammogram. The talk show host recounted the anxiety-ridden moments leading up to additional tests, stating on the November 3 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, "This is something I wanted to risk talking about on this show because I recently had a scare. I'm completely fine, but I did get a bad mammogram and I was taken into that room."
She added, "Then I had an emergency biopsy and I waited those five days." Her guest Tig Notaro, a breast cancer survivor herself, chimed in, "It's a long wait."
Over the years, Drew has been a vocal advocate for cancer screenings, even filming herself getting a mammogram last October to help viewers "overcome their fears" of getting checked. Clad in a hospital gown, the Never Been Kissed actress announced, "I'm about to put my breasts in a machine known as a mammogram." A technician guided Drew through the X-ray process, explaining each step to the audience in detail.
Along with spreading awareness through education, the 50-year-old has made sure to highlight survivors like Tig and Hoda Kotb. "I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I realized in that moment that it could all be over," the former Today host—who was diagnosed in 2007—told Drew in September. "I went through the surgeries and did all the things. When it was over, I woke up with this epiphany. I got four words: You can't scare me. Like, what am I afraid of?"
Drew has even honored co-host Ross Mathews' mother during the show's 2023 breast cancer awareness campaign. Indeed, the daytime talk show dedicated an entire episode to Gay Mathews, who passed away following a battle with the disease. "My mom was the best," Ross told the audience in 2023 as Drew held his hand. "She thought that was so funny. She fought so hard with such dignity and went into remission. In 2020, right before we met, she passed away."
"I learned so much being up close and personal with her," he continued. "It was so heartbreaking, but it also taught me so much about strength and family and love. How strong she was and how much I loved her and still do. It was such a gift to have that time."
