Newscaster Robin Roberts has been diagnosed with breast cancer

From ABCNews...

I never thought I'd be writing this. … I have breast cancer.

It all started a few weeks ago. We had gotten the news that our dear colleague and friend Joel Siegel had passed away and we began preparing for our special tribute show for him. I did a piece about Joel's courageous battle with cancer, reporting on the way my friend had lived his life and been such a successful advocate for the importance of early cancer screenings.

That very night when I went to bed, I did a self breast exam and found something that women everywhere fear: I found a lump.At first I thought, "This can't be. I am a young, healthy woman." Nevertheless, I faced my fear head on and made an appointment to see the doctor.

Much as I was hoping the doctor would say it was nothing, she did a biopsy and confirmed that the lump I'd found was indeed an early form of breast cancer.Hearing the doctor say those words out loud was surreal.I will be having surgery shortly and follow-up treatment in the months to come.

So in the coming months, you will probably notice that I will have my good days and my bad days, but I know I will get through it with the love and support of my family and friends. Diane, Sam, Chris and all of the folks behind the scenes who make this program come to life each and every morning have been so supportive and loving at this challenging time. To you, our viewers, please know that your thoughts and prayers very much sustain me as they always have each and every morning when I sit in the chair next to Diane and say "Good Morning America." You have always been there for me … and I love you back.

Ladies, make sure you do your monthly breast exam and start getting your mammogram if you are in your late thirties/early forties. I had my first one last year at 39. There was an unusual mass and I had to go back and have a more intense exam. It turned out to just be a cell mass but it was still scary during those few days when we did not know. Fellas, same goes for you with the prostate. Make sure you get checked if anything seems unusual.