Actor John Travolta Remembers his Wife, Kelly Preston, on Mother’s Day after Losing her to Breast Cancer in 2020

“Dearest Kelly, you brought into my life three of the most wonderful children I have ever known,” Travolta wrote under two intimate pictures of his wife and children. “Thank you. We love and miss you. Happy Mother's Day.”

Travolta has been open about struggling after his wife’s death in the past and advises people dealing with grief to take the space they need to heal.

"I felt very saturated with the sadness of everyone else that I didn't know what to do," Travolta told Esquire. "The most important thing that you can do to help another when they are in their mourning is to allow them to live it and not complicate it with yours."

Preston was 57 when she died, and she kept her two-year battle with the disease very private. We don’t know a lot about the specifics of Preston's diagnosis, stage of the cancer or her treatment, but, since breast cancer is the center of much cancer research, we do know a lot about treatment options, risk factors and screening techniques.

Understanding Breast Cancer

Breast cancer, unfortunately, has played a part in many people’s lives as it is a very common type of cancer. Although it is most common in women, men can develop this type of cancer too. Generally, breast cancer cells form a tumor that can be felt as a lump or seen on an x-ray. Mammograms are used for breast cancer screening to look for these lumps in the breast tissue and other signs of cancer. According to the American Cancer Society, women in the 45 to 54 age range should have yearly mammograms.

On top of understanding the importance of screening, it is also useful to know what factors put you at an elevated risk for breast cancer. According to SurvivorNet's medical experts, you're more likely to develop breast cancer if you have one or more of these risk factors:

• You're older: Your risk for this cancer increases as you age, so it’s important to be more vigilant about screenings as you get older.
• You have a gene mutation: Some women inherit changes to genes like BRCA1 or BRCA2, that increase their risk for breast cancer. Genetic tests are a great way to find these changes early and give women the chance to take preventive steps.
• You were exposed to estrogen for longer: Estrogen is a hormone that helps some breast cancers grow. Getting your period early (before age 12) or starting menopause late (after age 55), increases your exposure to this hormone.
• You waited to have children: Your risk may be higher if you waited to have children until after age 30, or you never gave birth. But the risk is only slightly higher, so you're not definitely going to get breast cancer just because you waited to have children.
• You were exposed to radiation: Being exposed to radiation early in life; for example, during treatment for a cancer like Hodgkin's lymphoma, can increase your risk of breast cancer later in life.
• You have a family or personal history of breast cancer: Having cancer in your family, or going through treatment yourself, can make you more likely to also be diagnosed with this disease.

Understand Your Risk For Breast Cancer

It's important to note that having these risks factors does not necessarily mean you will develop breast cancer. Some women with breast cancer have no risk factors at all and others with risk factors may never develop the disease. But understanding the factors that may put you at a higher risk for breast cancer can help you make the best possible choices regarding things like screening options and lifestyle modifications.

Coping with Grief

Travolta knows losing a loved one to cancer can cause immeasurable pain. Allowing yourself the time and space to mourn is essential, and one to place to start can be seeking out independent support resources such as therapy.

In an earlier interview with SurvivorNet, Camila Legaspi shared her own advice on grief after her mother died of breast cancer. For her, therapy made all the difference.

"Therapy Saved My Life": After Losing A Loved One, Don't Be Afraid To Ask For Help

"Therapy saved my life," Legaspi says. "I was dealing with some really intense anxiety and depression at that point. It just changed my life, because I was so drained by all the negativity that was going on. Going to a therapist helped me realize that there was still so much out there for me, that I still had my family, that I still had my siblings."

"When you lose someone, it's really, really, really hard," Legaspi says. "I'm so happy that I talked to my therapist. Keep your chin up, and it's going to be OK. No matter what happens, it's going to be OK."

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