‘Home Edit’ Star Clea Shearer, 44, Says International Women’s Day Is Especially Meaningful Since It’s the Day of Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis — and the “Photo Reminder” She Needed
‘Home Edit’ Star Clea Shearer, 44, Says International Women’s Day Is Especially Meaningful Since It’s the Day of Her Breast Cancer Diagnosis — and the “Photo Reminder” She Needed
Using Your Platform to Empower When to Screen for Cancer Early
“Home Edit” star Clea Shearer is using Women’s History Month to reflect on her breast cancer diagnosis—discovered on International Women’s Day—and to urge women to prioritize screenings, self‑exams, and self‑advocacy.
She’s been open about the physical and emotional toll of treatment, explaining that even after chemo and radiation ended, the mental recovery was just as challenging, making milestones like ringing the bell both joyful and complicated.
Shearer was diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer in 2022 when doctors discovered the cancer had spread to one of her lymph nodes. She underwent treatment, which included a double mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiation, during which she also experienced hair loss.
While chemotherapy is a common cause of hair loss, radiation can also lead to thinning or baldness—especially when the treatment area includes the scalp. For instance, radiation targeting a brain tumor may result in hair loss on the head.
Dr. James Taylor, a radiation oncologist at GenesisCare, says, “For most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.” Still, regrowth may come with changes in texture or color.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends that women have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, if you have a higher risk for breast cancer due to a family history or a genetic mutation, you should consider screening at age 40.
Clea Shearer, 44, is using Women’s History Month to reclaim a day that once brought her lots of uncertainty. When International Women’s Day rolls around every year, the “Home Edit” star says it now serves as a powerful reminder of when her cancer journey began, and her resilience was tested.
“I took this photo to remind women to get their mammograms. I didn’t know I was the one who actually needed it,” she wrote, urging others to do self-exams, get screened, and advocate for themselves.
Shearer has been open about the physical and emotional toll battling cancer has had on her life since her 2022 diagnosis.
“The physical ramifications of cancer are equal to the emotional toll,” Shearer told News 12 Hudson Valley. “For me, they went hand in hand.”
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 14: Clea Shearer attends the 2024 Disney Upfront at Javits Center on May 14, 2024 in New York City. (Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)
Diagnosed with stage 1 breast cancer, Shearer later learned the cancer had spread to a lymph node, elevating her diagnosis to stage 2. She’s shared her journey openly—from chemo and radiation to the emotional weight of hair loss and recovery. But it’s the mental health impact that she says deserves more attention.
“The thing I didn’t expect was that when a lot of the physicality of chemo and radiation was no longer there, I still had just as much of an emotional and mental response, and it took some time to work through that,” she said. “It feels a lot like postpartum.”
Clea Shearer is pictured in December 2022 amid her cancer battle (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)
Shearer described the moment she rang the bell to mark the end of treatment—a milestone often celebrated with joy and relief. But for her, it was more complicated.
“You ring the bell, and you’re like, This is the happiest moment of my life, but you still deal with quite a lot,” she said.
Helping Breast Cancer Patients Cope with Their Diagnosis
“I had been trying to make an appointment with my OB(GYN) for several months, and even when I told them I found a lump, they couldn’t accommodate me. I had to request a mammogram from my general doctor, which led to an ultrasound and then an emergency triple biopsy,” she added.
She would later be diagnosed with breast cancer, but the popular star chose to share the intimate news with her millions of followers on social media. She was initially told her cancer was stage 1, but during the nine-hour surgery in April 2022, doctors found cancer in one of her lymph nodes, which elevated the cancer to stage 2.
Shearer was diagnosed with “aggressive and fast-moving” breast cancer, but she thankfully “caught it early.”
She had two tumors, one measuring 2 centimeters in size and the other 3 centimeters.
WATCH: Treatment for early-stage breast cancers.
Early-stage breast cancer means that there’s a small tumor in the breast and that there are no lymph nodes affected.
“For stage one breast cancer, the first step is to remove the cancer. If a woman needs a lumpectomy, most often, she will have radiation after that.
“In some instances, depending on her age, she may not need radiation,” she added.
“Depending on the size and other features such as family history, a patient may opt for more aggressive surgery. So even for an early-stage 1 breast cancer, a woman may elect a mastectomy to remove her whole breast. Then, once that surgery happens, a pathologist is able to look at that tissue underneath the microscope and decide what treatment a woman needs after the surgery has removed it.”
Shearer underwent treatment, which included a double mastectomy.
WATCH: Understanding a double mastectomy.
Shearer’s treatment also included both chemotherapy and radiation. During chemotherapy, patients receive cancer-killing drugs either orally or intravenously. Radiation therapy is also aimed at killing cancer cells, except it’s administered using high-energy X-ray beams aimed at cancer cells.
Shearer’s first round of chemotherapy occurred in May 2022. However, a common side effect of chemotherapy is hair loss, and the reality TV star also experienced it during this emotional phase of the journey.
“Very short hair, and really don’t care,” she wrote in an Instagram post about a week after cutting all her hair off. “This first round of chemo has been a lot, both physically and mentally. It wiped me out for a few days, but it makes the good days feel that much better.”
WATCH: Coping With Hair Loss & the Anxiety it Brings.
Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after starting chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.
This happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body, including cancer cells and hair cells.
Radiation is another treatment that can lead to hair loss if the hair is in the path of the tumor being treated. Radiation for a brain tumor, for example, may cause hair loss.
“If you do lose hair, it will regrow several weeks or months after treatment,” radiation oncologist Dr. James Taylor told SurvivorNet. “Fortunately, for most patients, hair loss is not a concern when having radiation therapy.”
Fortunately, hair loss during cancer treatment is not all bad news. Most people can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.
If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.
In November 2022, Shearer revealed she was “cancer-free”; however, she still undergoes regular checks to ensure the cancer has not returned. This stage of the cancer journey, called survivorship, can be equally filled with anxiety as concerns may grow if a recurrence (cancer returning) is taking shape.
Help Coping With a Breast Cancer Diagnosis
If you are facing a cancer diagnosis, your emotions are likely to run high, which is completely normal. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says emotions are often fluid when coping with a diagnosis.
“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, and family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” Dr. Plutchik said.
WATCH: How to cope with complex and changing emotions.
If a stressful event affects how you think and feel, it may be time to seek mental health treatment. This could mean traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking a support group, or many other approaches.
SurvivorNet experts suggest women needing a little extra help coping with a breast cancer diagnosis.
Let your family and close friends know, and let them help. So many cancer survivors tell us they want and need support, but are often too preoccupied to make specific requests. Urge those close to you to jump in with whatever practical help they can offer.
Keep a journal. It can be extremely cathartic to let those feelings loose on paper. Grab a pen and a nice journal and chronicle your thoughts throughout the day.
Join a cancer support group. Groups in nearly every community offer opportunities to connect with others going through a similar journey. You’ll learn constructive insight from others who can tell you what to expect and how to stay strong on tough days.
Consider seeing a therapist. Ask your doctor to refer you to a therapist so you can discuss your fears and concerns in a safe space. Often, vocalizing your thoughts and feelings rather than internalizing them can provide relief.
Questions to Ask Your Doctor
If you’re going through cancer treatment and experiencing hair loss, here are some questions you may consider asking your doctor:
Are there any treatments to help manage or minimize my hair loss?
What are scalp-cooling devices, and how do they work?
Do you recommend scalp-cooling devices?
What other options are available to help me cope with hair loss?
Can you recommend a wig maker?
I’m struggling mentally with my hair loss; can you recommend a therapist to talk to?
How can I find a local support group with people going through similar things?
