CALIFORNIA (TR) – In an interview with the Mainichi Shimbun (Feb. 4), Japanese adult video (AV) actress Marica Hase revealed that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer — and she is using a crowdfunding platform to cover medical expenses.
In the article, the 37-year-old Hase, who lives in Los Angeles, says that she found two lumps in her breast during a self-examination last year.
During a subsequent consultation with a doctor, she was told that there was a chance (15 percent) that the lumps were presently cancerous. However, it was suggested that they be removed to reduce the risk of cancer developing in the future.
On October 24, a surgical procedure was conducted to remove the lumps. On video site YouTube, she posted a clip showing her inside a car headed to the hospital. “The day I am to surgery to remove the lumps in my boobs,” she wrote on the site.
One week later, her doctor told her that the lumps were indeed cancerous. In seeking a second opinion, she was advised at a different hospital that development of secondary malignant growths was possible.
Due to her line of work, Hase is regularly tested for venereal diseases and breast cancer. But, she lamented to the Mainichi, “Early detection seems to not be possible.”
Gravure idol
Born in Tokyo in 1981, Hase debuted (under her first name Marika) as an erotic gravure idol in 2007. Her output became more illicit the following year, when she released her first nude photo collection.
In 2010, Hase was a finalist in AV label Soft On Demand’s “First SOD Star Cinderella Audition” contest. This selection led to the release of “Active Gravure Idol Marika: AV Debut” three months later.
Until March of 2012, when she announced her intentions to move to Los Angeles, Hase starred in dozens of films with Japanese labels in such genres as gang rape, SM and molestation.
For the January, 2013, issue of Penthouse magazine, Hase was named the “Penthouse Pet of the Month,” becoming the first Japanese woman to attain such a distinction.
Mastectomy
On January 26, 2019, Hase participated in the 36th AVN Awards at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Shortly thereafter, she decided to have a mastectomy and reconstruction.
The procedure is to also include an investigation into whether cancer is developing in her lymph nodes. Her doctor anticipates that she will not require radiation treatment if the surgery can remove the cancer entirely.
On February 1, Hase started a campaign to raise 50,000 dollars on site Gofundme.com to cover medical expenses. The procedure will be done at the City of Hope later this month.
“I want to work in the industry again, so this seemed like the best option,” she wrote, adding that any funds left over would go to the City of Hope, “who have helped save my life.”
Though Hase acknowledges to the Mainichi that the near future will be troubling — “I won’t be able to work for three months” — she also sees her situation as an opportunity. Rather than emphasize her recovery, she plans to document her day-to-day routine for others to see.
