A former EastEnders star has opened up about her battle with breast cancer, discussing the symptoms of the condition.
Actress Samantha Womack, who played Ronnie Mitchell in the soap, revealed she had been battling cancer in August this year. The Daily Record reports that she shared a social media tribute to the late Olivia Newton-John, who passed away of the disease after a 30-year-long fight.
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Samantha also recently underwent an operation to remove a lump from her breast, as well as a lymph node. In a video update shared to Instagram, Samantha 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."
According to Breast Cancer Now, the earlier the condition is spotted, the better the chance of full recovery. The charity has also outlined the main symptoms to watch out for in breast cancer, and how to properly check for any lumps or changes.
The main symptoms of breast cancer
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
As breast cancer is much rarer in men, the most common symptom is a lump in the chest area. Typically, breast pain on its own is not a sign of cancer - but if the pain is there all the time or leads to your armpit, it's worth getting it checked.
How to check for breast 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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