Former MTV VJ and Talk Show host Ananda Lewis has died at the age of 52.

Ananda was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer six years ago. During an interview with GMA, she shared that she had chosen her own treatment path which included some conventional and non-conventional methods. She also admitted that after watching her mom get mammograms for over 30 years and still end up with breast cancer made her skeptical. So, by the age of 47, she still hadn’t had her first mammogram.

She declined to get a double mastectomy and rounds of chemo for treatment. As she explained, surgery was too much to take on at that time while caring for and homeschooling her young son.

She tried other methods, but about 8 months ago she revealed that her cancer had progressed to stage 4.Her sister Lakshmi broke the news on social media.