Justice Earls Reveals Cancer Diagnosis

North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls announced Tuesday that she was diagnosed with breast cancer late last year, saying the illness will not affect her ability to serve on the state’s highest court or continue campaigning.

“I had surgery over the holidays and will continue a course of treatment to address this disease,” Earls said in a video message released on social media.

Earls told supporters that her diagnosis has not slowed her work on the court or her campaign. “We are not slowing down. We are not losing focus. This is just a bump in the road on the way to a win this November,” she said, adding that many women — including prominent political leaders in North Carolina — have successfully undergone treatment for breast cancer.

She said the cancer was discovered early during a routine mammogram and that early detection has contributed to a positive prognosis. Earls also urged women to keep up with recommended screenings.

“I know it can be easy to put off doctor’s appointments, but I encourage every woman to get regularly screened for breast cancer,” she said.

Earls is seeking reelection this year and is being challenged by state Rep. Sarah Stevens, a Republican from Surry County. Stevens announced in January 2024 that she, too, had undergone treatment for breast cancer. Stevens said at the time that breast cancer runs in her family and that she expected to make a full recovery.

Breast cancer has also been a focus of recent legislative debate in North Carolina. Survivors serving in the General Assembly last year pressed lawmakers to approve legislation requiring insurance coverage parity for breast cancer diagnostic imaging.

“You shouldn’t be in a situation where women are denied access to care because they can’t afford the actual screenings,” Senate Democratic Leader Sydney Batch said during a news conference in April.

The Senate did not advance Batch’s proposal. In the House, a companion measure — House Bill 297 — passed with support from Rep. Howard Penny Jr., who has also been treated for breast cancer, but the bill later stalled in the Senate.

According to data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, more than 13,000 women in North Carolina are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.