Sofia Vergara Opens Up About Devastating Cancer Diagnosis

Former “Modern Family” star Sofia Vergara opened up over the weekend about the devastating cancer diagnosis that she received when she was only 28 years old. 

Vergara Discusses Cancer Battle

Sofia Vergara, 49, gave a speech at the Stand Up to Cancer charity telethon on Saturday night in which she revealed that she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer years ago.

“At 28 years old during a routine doctor’s visit, my doctor felt a lump in my neck,” she said. “They did a lot of tests and told me finally I had thyroid cancer. When you’re young and you hear the 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,” the “America’s Got Talent” judge added. “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 a time of crisis, we’re better together,” Vergara continued.  

Related: Nightbirde Withdraws From ‘America’s Got Talent’ After Devastating Cancer Update

Vergara’s Past Comments On Cancer

While many of her fans likely had no idea she’d battled cancer, this was not the first time that Vergara opened up about the experience. 

“I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and had to have my thyroid removed,” she once said in an interview. “As a result, I have a hypothyroid condition and need to take medicine to treat it.” 

Vergara has also talked about why she never went public with her cancer battle while she was fighting it.

“I didn’t want publicity because of that,” she said. “Having cancer is not fun. You don’t want to deal with anything else while you’re going through it.”

Related: Christina Applegate Reveals Life-Changing Health Diagnosis – ‘It’s Been A Tough Road’

Vergara On How Cancer Changed Her Lifestyle

The America’s Got Talent judge then talked about how having cancer made her change her lifestyle. 

“For a while, I got really crazy about what I was eating,” she recalled. “But then you realise that you can’t live like that. You go to restaurants, and you have to eat something. You have to live your life. And no one really knows exactly how people get cancer.”

Thankfully, Sofia Vergara has now been cancer-free for many years.

We applaud her for courageously speaking out about her diagnosis now in the hopes of raising awareness about this type of cancer for others.