Applegate strives for balance with projects

LOS ANGELES -- Two very different projects provided distractions for actress Christina Applegate after she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year and underwent a double mastectomy.

One is the very serious Right Action for Women, an organization she started to provide financial help for women who can't afford to undergo genetic testing or have screenings for cancer.

The other was her anything-but-serious work as the voice of Chipette Brittany in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeak-quel," set to open Dec. 23. She admits, during an interview to talk about the film, that it's a little strange to discuss the two topics at the same time.

But talking about battling cancer is very important to Applegate. "There is a point where you have to stop and face what you have just gone through. I want women to be able to come on the Web site and chat about what really goes on after having the surgery," she says. "It is not all, 'Let's go out and march.' There are some real dark times that come through that so we will help with that as well."

The actress started the foundation the day she was told a lot of women were not getting examined because of the cost. Applegate says that as a survivor, she's committed to helping women access the information and tests they need to beat this disease.

"We also want to be give counseling to women who decided to take the gene test and help them plan what they want to do after that because with the test you can go from having a 20% chance of having breast or ovarian cancer to 80% in your life. It is a big jump," Applegate says.

Although the 38-year-old actress doesn't want to discriminate against older women, her organization's focus will be women younger than 40 and as young as 20.

The group's concern is even more important in light of the suggestion by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that women should no longer start testing at 40 but wait until they are 50.

Applegate's certain there can be only one outcome if women wait until they are 50 to get mammograms. "There will be a lot of dead people on their hands," Applegate says.

Applegate's Web site is www.rightactionforwomen.org.