Christina Applegate has been diagnosed with an early form of breast cancer her rep confirmed Saturday.

"Benefitting from early detection through a doctor ordered MRI, the cancer is not life threatening," the Emmy nominated Samantha Who? star's rep said in a statement. "Christina is following the recommended treatment of her doctors and will have a full recovery."

Applegate's mother is a breast cancer survivor.

"The first time she was diagnosed I was a very young girl -- probably 7. I'm not sure it really fully hit me at the time, but she had to undergo surgery and have a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery," Applegate, 36, told USA Today in 2003. "It was devastating for my mother to lose one of her breasts and have to go through all that," Applegate said. "It is a very personal cancer for the women it affects. This is about women's womanhood. It's one of the aspects of our femininity."

Applegate is scheduled to appear on September 5, alongside stars including Meryl Streep, Jennifer Aniston Scarlett Johansson, Charlize Theron, and Sally Field at the Stand Up to Cancer telethon. Breast cancer is currently the most common cancer in women and the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the 15-54 age group.

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