- Sonali Bendre was diagnosed with 4th-stage metastatic cancer in 2018 and underwent treatment in New York
- She credited her strength to a strong support system during her cancer battle
- Bendre said cancer was a taboo subject and early detection could have prevented stage 4 diagnosis
Back in 2018, Sonali Bendre was diagnosed with 4th-stage metastatic cancer. It was an aggressive form of cancer, and she underwent extensive treatment in New York, which involved chemotherapy and surgery. Recently, the actress opened up about the realisation about cancer that hit her when she was fighting it, and what could have stopped her from reaching the 4th stage of the disease.
What's Happening
- In a recent conversation with Forbes India, Sonali Bendre opened up about where she gathered the strength from to fight her cancer battle.
- She said, "I had a great support system, and that was my strength. I am sure there are a lot of people who are transparent about it. I just happened to be more well-known than them. But the main thing was, when I put out my illness, what I realised was that cancer was not something that was spoken about."
- She continued, "It was a taboo subject, and I did not realise it. They were mentioning this as the C disease. They wouldn't even name it. What I realised was, for me, I needn't have reached the fourth stage. Had I tested and detected it early, I needn't have gone through the hardship that I went through."
- Sonali Bendre explained that cancer is curable if caught very early. She said that it is definitely hard, but "it is not a death sentence if caught early."
On How Conversation Around Cancer Has Changed Now
The actress questioned why there aren't more conversations about cancer and its early detection.
She added, "That's what I realised: that when I am in the public eye-maybe that's what I can give back. I can bring about a conversation around it. That, more than anything else in my life-if you are looking good, it is your genes; I have got my chances. I am grateful for the opportunities. But one thing I am grateful for is the conversation around cancer in these 7 years has drastically changed, and that has been because of my illness."
"The way people are talking about it now. The way they are getting tested-it was not the case before. That I am happy about; I feel like it is the only thing I have done in my life."
Sonali Bendre was cancer-free after receiving remission and went on to share her journey to bring about change as a cancer survivor.
Work
On the work front, Sonali Bendre was last seen in the 2024-released web series The Broken News. She also has a book club and is a host for a podcast titled The Happy Pawdcast, focused on pet parenting and animal welfare.
