Former EastEnders actress Samantha Womack has recently opened up about her breast cancer diagnosis.
The soap star revealed she had been battling with the disease back in August after she shared a social media tribute to Olivia Newton-John, who died after a 30-year-long fight against breast cancer.
The 49-year-old, best known for playing Ronnie Mitchell in the soap for 10 years, recently underwent an operation to have a lump removed from her breast as well as a lymph node.
In an update, Samantha said she will soon begin her first chemotherapy session. In a video shared on Instagram, she said: "Hey, I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been sending me love after I shared my story about battling breast cancer.
"So, just to tell you where I’m at I’ve had my operation, I had a lumpectomy and lymph node removal and I am now going to start my first session of chemotherapy tomorrow."
She added: "I have read all your stories and messages, they’ve blown me away, genuinely. I just wanted to say thank you, I am very humbled by the fact that everyone has reached out and yeah so, I’ll keep you posted."
The earlier breast cancer is spotted, the more chance there is of recovery, according to Breast Cancer Now.
The research and support charity has described some of the early symptoms of breast cancer - and how to properly check for any lumps or changes.
Breast cancer symptoms
Having breast cancer can cause a number of different signs and symptoms to show up.
According to the charity, some of these include:
- A lump or swelling in the breast, upper chest or armpit
- A change to the skin , such as puckering or dimpling
- A change in the colour of the breast – the breast may look red or inflamed
- A nipple change , for example it has become pulled in (inverted)
- Rash or crusting around the nipple
- Unusual liquid (discharge) from either nipple
- Changes in size or shape of the breast
Breast cancer in men is much rarer, but the most common symptom is a lump in the chest area.
Usually, breast pain on its own isn't a sign of cancer - but be aware of pain in your breast or armpit that's there all or almost all of the time.
How to check for cancer
The charity has outlined a three-step process for people who want to check their breasts for cancer.
Called the TLC method, it doesn't require any training and anybody can do it:
- Touch your breasts: can you feel anything new or unusual?
- Look for changes: does anything look different to you?
- Check any new or unusual changes with a GP
The charity advises that you should do regular checks and be aware of anything that's new or different to you.
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