Kelly Hoppen has announced that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year after having "ignored" routine invitations to have a mammogram for a number of years.
The interior designer, 63, has revealed that she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). It's described by Macmillan as the "earliest possible form of breast cancer," though the charity adds that it still needs to be treated.
She has now opened up about her experience after being told "everything [is] clear" and she hopes to warn others against overlooking invitations to have a mammogram.
The former Dragons' Den star has commented on her "own stupidity" for having ignored invitations to have a mammogram for years before the diagnosis.
Kelly explained that she sometimes overlooked the invitations, whilst at other times she booked an appointment for the breast screening but subsequent cancelled such.
Writing for the Daily Mail, she said: "It was a foolish thing to do, which is why I am writing this now: it's a cautionary tale, a warning to others, not to be too frightened, too harried by the demands of work to go to your appointments."
She added that she feels "compelled" to discuss her experience in the hope of helping others.
Kelly - who said her own mother had breast cancer at a similar age - recalled finally attending a mammogram appointment last year, which she suggested may have been spurred on by "intuition".
Kelly said she was later asked to return for a follow-up mammogram, before having an ultrasound and biopsies, including the removal of a sample of tissue from her right breast.
She added that she was later told she had DCIS in two milk ducts. Kelly said she subsequently had cancer cells removed from the ducts. She later had "precautionary surgery" to remove the tissue around the ducts and ensure the cancer hadn't spread.
Kelly said she was "overjoyed" when she was told that the cancer hadn't spread. She continued by recalling a check-up last month and said that "everything [is] clear". She added: "So now I feel safe to say I'm through it."
Discussing the possibility of her cancer returning, Kelly said she will deal with it if it does and has vowed to never skip a mammogram again. She said she's booked to have her next on later this year.
"I wanted to wait until I was completely sure that I was out of the woods before I told my story, and I'm doing so now to encourage other women never to miss a screening," she said.
You can find information about breast screening on the NHS website.
