For world cancer day, Sofia Vergara talked about her experience as a cancer survivor. The actress shared a lengthy Instagram post where she discussed her journey with cancer at a young age and the importance of early prevention.

The post features a photo of Vergara in her late 20’s, peering through the viewfinder of a camera, with her long hair tied back. At her throat, you can see the scar of her surgery. “At 28, “Cancer” was not a word I expected to hear. It was just a routine checkup. But the doctors found a lump in my throat, and that word became part of my story. I spent countless hours in radiation treatments, and, eventually, in surgery. Today, I get to call myself a cancer survivor,” she wrote. “This was my first acting class after diagnosis and treatment, and seeing the scar on my throat reminds me of how blessed I felt that day—and every day since. I’m lucky and grateful to be in a position to share my story and say: early prevention is so important!! Schedule your annual check-up for this year if you haven’t already.”

Vergara went public with her disease in 2011, 11 years after she’d recovered from it. When speaking to Health Magazine, she explained that she never wanted publicity from her disease. “Having cancer is not fun. You don’t want to deal with anything else while you‘re going through it. It’s as simple as that,” she said.

Sofia Vergara is currently one of the hosts of America’s Got Talent and has a slew of exciting projects lined up, most prominently, Netflix’s Griselda, where she’ll star as the drug lord Griselda Blanco. The limited series will be made up of six 50 minute episodes, telling the story of Blanco and how she became the leader of one of the most profitable drug cartels of the era.

“Despite being known for her ruthless and violent ways of doing business, Griselda Blanco was one of the world’s wealthiest drug traffickers who enjoyed a lavish and glamorous lifestyle,” reads the project‘s description.