Kathy Bates was told to keep her cancer diagnosis secret in case it hurt her career

The Oscar-winner was warned against revealing her 2003 diagnosis of ovarian cancer to the public

Kathy Bates has stated she was warned against revealing her cancer diagnosis under the belief it would damage her career.

“Back in 2003, when I had ovarian cancer, my agent told me not to tell anyone about it,” she told WebMD. “Even my gynecologist, whose husband worked in the business, warned that I shouldn’t come out with it because of the stigma in Hollywood. So I was very careful.”

"But then I saw Melissa Etheridge doing a concert and just wailing on her guitar with her bald head, and I thought, 'Wow, I wanna be her!' So when the breast cancer diagnosis came, I knew I wanted to be honest about it."

A survivor of ovarian cancer in 2003, Bates discovered in 2012 that she had stage II breast cancer and - with a long family history of the disease - swiftly opted for a double mastectomy. Unless required for a role, Bates has opted not to wear breast prostheses.

"I've joined the ranks of women who are going flat, as they say," she said. "I don't have breasts - so why do I have to pretend like I do? That stuff isn't important. I'm just grateful to have been born at a time when the research made it possible for me to survive. I feel so incredibly lucky to be alive."

The new perspective she was granted saw her find new passion in her role as an advocate for cancer survivors and those with lymphedema, a debilitating swelling that can occur when lymphatic fluid fails to drain normally, often when lymph nodes are removed or damaged after cancer surgery.

Bates' career has proved the doubters wrong, thankfully. Having starred in the past four seasons of American Horror Story, she now returns to the show in a directorial role. She also starred in season 1 of Feud, as well as Xavier Dolan's upcoming The Death and Life of John F. Donovan.