A routine health check has pushed actor and singer Christy Carlson Romano into a new, uncertain chapter—one she says she is sharing publicly in hopes it prompts others to get tested.
In an Instagram video posted Tuesday, Feb. 17, Romano, 41, became emotional as she told followers that a recent cancer screening returned results that were not clear. “The other day I took this cancer screening. Both my parents had cancer. My mom beat it, my dad eventually didn’t, my grandmother on my mom’s side had lung cancer and died from that,” she said, speaking from a couch inside her home.
Romano explained that she pursued the test against a backdrop of family history and recent events in her personal circle. “I got the results back a little bit before filming down in Florida,” she continued, referencing work on the forthcoming Hallmark film Holiday Ever After: A Disney World Wish Come True, which she said she recently finished. She contrasted her outcome with her spouse’s. “My husband’s [results] came back completely negative. Mine did not come back negative, so basically, what that means is I may have stageable cancer.”
In the caption accompanying the video, Romano outlined what comes next medically and why she chose to disclose the news despite hesitation. “I’m going in for a PET scan later this week and hopefully it’s something easy to treat,” she wrote. “I debated whether or not I was going to post this because I was afraid I’d come off “cringe.” But I decided it was my duty to share, so that people get out there and get screenings.”
Romano, widely known for playing Ren Stevens on Disney Channel’s Even Stevens, said the decision to be screened was also influenced by the recent death of actor James Van Der Beek, who she said died of cancer at 48. Fighting tears, Romano described crossing paths with him in Texas. “I’m in Austin and I was able to meet James Van Der Beek a bunch. His family is amazing, he was a pillar of our community in Texas,” she explained. “They always were raising money for the most amazing charities but he’s not with us anymore, and cancer is everywhere — which is why I got this test.”
The update arrives roughly a year after Romano described surviving a shooting that left her injured in the face while marking her husband’s birthday. In a February 2025 Instagram post reflecting on that incident, she said it reshaped her outlook. “I’m feeling more grateful than I’ve ever felt in my life and I’m healing really well. Every day, to me, is a gift,” she told fans. “I used to be so closed off about sharing the things in my life I loved out of fear of being judged. Now I just don’t care.”
In Tuesday’s video, Romano connected that experience to her current fears, underscoring how personal the moment feels as she awaits additional testing. “[This is a] very vulnerable time for me. About 367 days since I got shot in the face,” she said. “Time to have a strong sense of faith and know that it’s in God’s hands, most of it. I’m sure people think I’m overreacting but I’m not because cancer’s pretty f***ing serious and I have two little girls. This is a very emotional post.”
Romano has been married to writer and producer Brendan Rooney since 2013. The couple have two daughters, Isabella, 9, and Sofia, 7.
She ended her message by emphasizing gratitude and persistence as she prepares for the PET scan and further information. “When you’re somebody like me, you have to take life a day at a time and really be grateful for all the amazing stuff around you,” she said, giving viewers two thumbs up. “So, know that I have a loving family around me to support me and I’m going to keep fighting for answers and eventually giving you updates.”
