Lee is also a cookbook author and magazine publisher.
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The Food Network star was recently re-admitted to the hospital for another surgery due to complications from her double mastectomy in May and she opened up to ET’s Nancy O’Dell about the tough decision.
I wanted to share with you that I am so humbled by the doctors, researchers and warriors that came before me and allowed me the opportunity for an early detection!
Lee, who said her cancer was caught in the early stages, encouraged women in their 20s and 30s to undergo breast-cancer screenings.
“I just want to say it doesn’t matter if you’re a DD, which I was, or an A, which I am”, Lee said.
“But this time I’m coming to share with you that my doctors have said I’m cancer-free and I’m ready to go”.
It was believed she wore pink as an ode to breast cancer awareness, but it turns out she bought the dress even before her March diagnosis.
She said she rejects the “wait-and-see” approach to early-stage breast cancer, which has lately been suggested by some medical research as the better strategy rather than aggressive surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Lee returned to the spotlight on Sunday when she walked the red carpet at the Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.
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Since being diagnosed and the surgery, Lee has become an advocate for early detection of cancer and awareness. “That was the statement I was making when I wore that dress”, Lee said. “Let’s just see what it does?” Lee said. “We know what it’s going to do”. Her new website, which she described as a “creative outlet that allowed me out of my head and that lightened my heart”, is now complete, and she seems to be very proud of it. “It’s only respectful to ourselves and to their work and what they gave up for us to get our tushies in there and get it diagnosed and then cut it out and take care of it”.
