Christy Carlson Romano, the actress best known for her breakout roles on the Disney Channel, has shared a deeply personal and emotional update about her health after receiving positive results from a recent cancer screening. In a heartfelt video posted to her Instagram account, Romano, 41, explained that while her husband’s test came back negative, her own screening indicated something that warrants further examination.
Romano has been clear that a positive screening result is not the same as a cancer diagnosis, but it does signal an area of concern. To get more clarity, she plans to undergo a PET scan — a specialized imaging test that can help detect abnormal activity in the body. Romano revealed that she is currently facing challenges with insurance coverage for that next step, a struggle familiar to many people navigating the U.S. medical system.
The actress said she and her husband decided to get screened in part because of her family’s history with cancer. She shared that her mother had beaten cancer, while her father ultimately did not survive the disease, and that her grandmother died of lung cancer. That history and the recent death of actor James Van Der Beek from colorectal cancer made her feel it was important to be proactive about her own health.
Romano, who lives in Austin, Texas with her husband Brendan Rooney and their two young daughters, did not shy away from expressing how difficult the news has been. She admitted to feeling both frightened and vulnerable, but also emphasized her desire to use her experience to raise awareness about the importance of regular health screenings. Despite the uncertainty, she spoke of gratitude for her family and the support of her community, and she pledged to keep her followers updated as she moves forward with further testing.