Kate Walsh of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ talks early cancer screening

Dr. Addison Montgomery, OBGYN, could probably talk your ear off about the importance of cancer screenings. Dr. Montgomery, of course, isn’t a real person, but a character on ABC’s “Grey’s Anatomy.” Her portrayer Kate Walsh, however, can talk your ear off just as much.

That’s because she’s partnering with Grail, a healthcare company, to educate people about multi-cancer early detection (MCED) testing options through an initiative called Generation Possible.

Walsh, 57, understands that chatting with your doctor about, well, anything, can be intimidating. “I know for me, even though I did play doctor on TV for the better part of a decade, I still get very nervous when I go to doctors,” she says, adding that “advocating and having the discussions can be intimidating.” Walsh typically takes a friend with her to take notes and ask questions she forgets.

But those uncomfortable doctors visits are worth it, she says. It could save your life.

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When it comes to cancer, knowledge is power

Walsh has a close, personal history with cancer. Her father died of lung caner just shy of his 61st birthday, and her mother battled breast cancer. She’s also lost friends to breast cancer, and her relatives have been diagnosed with different kinds.

Walsh is excited people have new ways (fingers crossed) get a leg up on cancer.

Multiple MCED tests are available and/or in development, according to the American Cancer Society. One such test is Grail’s Galleri, a blood test that aims to check for 50+ cancers in your DNA fragments; it’s not yet FDA-approved but is being tested in clinical trials among more than 385,000 participants. (I actually had the test done last year, and you can read more about my experience here.)

But tests like this are not yet accessible for everyone − Galleri costs $949 and is not covered by most insurance plans.

And even if patients can access MCED tests, that doesn’t mean they should skip their routine cancer screenings like breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and prostate cancer scans. The long-term goal is that MCED testing will be in conjunction with all of theses tests, the American Cancer Society explains. People can and should consult with their medical providers about it all. Younger people, too, need to chat with their doctors as cancer diagnoses among Gen X and millennials rise.

Part of what makes early detection so attractive, though, is that it’s an antidote to a reactive society. What if you could find out cancer lurked in your body before it got you sick? Knowledge is power, Walsh says.

‘I’m not a runner unless someone’s chasing me’

Walsh faced a health scare herself almost 10 years ago when doctors discovered a benign brain tumor; she had surgery and discovered later it was not cancerous, and still gets scanned every couple of years. She thinks of her life as before tumor and after tumor.

Before she knew the specifics of her tumor, she thought, “if this isn’t (deadly), then I’m going to, you know, work less, play more, spend more time with my loved ones and and I kept kept those promises. So I’ve got a pretty balanced and beautiful lifestyle, very fortunate.”

Walsh’s healthy lifestyle includes many staples. Yoga is a must, and she’s done Pilates for 20 years. She’s since added weight lifting to her fitness routine. “When I was younger, I thought, ‘ew, that’s only, you know, if you want to bulk up’, but now I’m really kind of hip to doing regular weight training every week, because it’s great for bones and muscle mass, as that sort of becomes more vulnerable as we age,” she says.

She loves to walk on the beach, too. “I don’t run. I’m not a runner unless someone’s chasing me, with a weapon, I’m not going to run,” she jokes.

Sounds like a safe bet, Dr. Montgomery.

This story has been updated with new information.

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