Linda Nolan has shared a new health update as she tries a brand new treatment while battling cancer for the third time.
The 63-year-old singer was first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2005 before being given the all-clear in 2006, and a year later was diagnosed with cellutitis and lymphedema in her arm.
Around 100,000 people in the UK suffer from lymphedema, a debilitating swelling of tissue, often as a result of breast cancer surgery.
TV personality Linda later had a fall on her hip when doctors discovered a form of incurable secondary breast cancer in her pelvis.
And in 2020, she was diagnosed with the horrible disease for a third time and has been receiving continuous treatment ever since, causing her to lose her hair and eyebrows and even causing her toenails to turn to ‘chalk’.
Health woes: Linda Nolan shared a new health update as she battles cancer for the third time (pictured December 2020)
Fight: The 63-year-old singer was first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2005 before being given the all-clear in 2006, and a year later was diagnosed with cellutitis and lymphedema in her arm
Update: Since then, the star has been candid with her fans about her journey to “do whatever it takes to stay alive.” Writing to her followers on Tuesday, Linda wrote on Twitter, “Having another great day today and trying a brand new lymphedema treatment.”
Since then, the star has been open with her fans about her journey to “do whatever it takes to stay alive.”
Writing to her followers on Tuesday, Linda wrote on Twitter: “Today I had another great day trying a brand new lymphedema treatment.
“I am amazed by the results and a little bit emotional. Can’t wait to show you the full before and after in a few weeks ❤️❤️❤️’
In 2021, Linda started treatment again, but was devastated to learn it was not having the effect she was hoping for.
She told The Sun: “I started chemo again in September but the doctor said it wasn’t doing what they were hoping for. The tumors on my liver were enlarged and growing, so they had to put me back on chemo.
“It was a shock. But I will do anything to stay alive. We agreed on a 12-week course, once a week every Friday.”
She said she spent two days in bed crying after being told the difficult news and wondering if she would stay with her family much longer.
“I thought, ‘Am I going to see my grandnieces and nephews? Am I going to see her grow up and get married?” But then I thought, “I don’t want to let cancer win.”
Difficult: TV personality Linda later had a fall on her hip when doctors discovered a form of incurable secondary breast cancer in her pelvis
In a mood to dance: Coleen, Maureen, Bernie and Linda imagined a performance by LR in 1981
Linda rose to fame in the ’70s with her family pop group, The Nolans, performing alongside her sisters Anne, 71, Denise, 69, Maureen, 67, and Coleen, 57.
Her last sister, Bernie, was also a member but died of breast cancer in 2013 at the age of 52.
Anne was previously diagnosed with breast cancer but is now in remission.
She went on to explain that she doesn’t tell her family certain things about her illness because she doesn’t want to upset them but finds solace in humor, although she admits it’s a little dark at times.
Linda has a WhatsApp group so she can keep her family updated on progress or test results, and often jokes on the messenger service that she hopes the next family event they go to isn’t their funeral.
She says she asked her doctors not to tell her how long she thought she would stay as she just wanted to “make memories” and asked for a break from treatment to postpone her December chemotherapy so she could enjoy Christmas.
The star concluded: “Three of my nephews are getting married and Denise is approaching her 70th. My godson Danny, Maureen’s son, is getting married in Italy and that’s my aim – to make sure I’m there in August.
“I’ll be there for all of those things. They are milestones. I am determined.’
Linda previously revealed that she performed in front of 1000 people hours after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.
The singer played the Wicked Witch in Belfast Grand Opera House’s Snow White and was diagnosed with cancer after a matinee performance.
Severe: In 2020, she was diagnosed with the horrible disease for the third time and has had continuous treatment ever since, causing her to lose her hair and eyebrows and even causing her toenails to turn to ‘chalk’
Getting involved: Linda rose to fame in the ’70s with her family pop group, The Nolans, performing alongside her sisters (pictured December 2021)
After hearing the devastating news, Linda returned to the venue, which has a capacity of 1063, for the evening performance, explaining, “I went and did the last three shows [as] nobody can play the part because they don’t do understudy in panto.
Speaking on the Andy Jaye podcast, Linda – who was being escorted to the doctor by her late husband Brian Hudson – revealed that she was scheduled to have a mastectomy just days after appearing on stage.
“I was in Belfast to do pantomime and I had to catch my results on Friday between shows,” she explained.
“I was told at the time it was breast cancer. It was stage three and I had to undergo a mastectomy and chemotherapy.
“My husband Brian was there and he was graying by the second. In fact, they had to give him water and not me. He was so devastated.’
Linda said Brian suggested she cancel her tonight appearance on the show.
“He said to me when we got outside — and I was obviously crying — ‘should I call them and tell them you can’t come to the second show?'”
However, brave Linda decided to perform that night. “I said, ‘No, we’ve got two more nights, no one can really do the role that I do because they don’t do understudy in Panto, and it won’t make a difference in the diagnosis.’
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world, affecting more than two MILLION women each year
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the world. There are more than 55,000 new cases in the UK each year and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 and kills 40,000 each year. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer develops from a cancer cell that develops in the lining of a milk duct, or lobule, in one of the breasts.
When breast cancer has spread to surrounding breast tissue, it is called ‘invasive’ breast cancer. Some people are diagnosed with “carcinoma in situ,” where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobe.
Most cases develop in women over the age of 50, but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, although this is rare.
Staging means how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
Cancer cells are graded from low, meaning slow growth, to high, meaning fast growth. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after being treated first.
What Causes Breast Cancer?
A cancerous tumor starts from an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. Something is thought to damage or change certain genes in the cell. This causes the cell to become abnormal and multiply “out of control”.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance of developing breast cancer, such as: B. Genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless breast lump, although most breast lumps are noncancerous and are fluid-filled cysts that are benign.
The first place where breast cancer usually spreads is in the armpit lymph nodes. If this occurs, you’ll develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests like a mammogram, a special X-ray of breast tissue that can indicate the possibility of tumors.
- Biopsy: In a biopsy, a small sample of tissue is taken from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to determine if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound of the liver, or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone treatment. A combination of two or more of these treatments is often used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast, depending on the size of the tumor.
- Radiation therapy: A treatment that uses high-energy rays focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops cancer cells from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to the operation.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment for cancer through the use of anti-cancer drugs that kill or stop cancer cells from multiplying.
- Hormone Treatments: Some types of breast cancer are influenced by the “female” hormone estrogen, which can stimulate cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that lower the levels of these hormones or stop them from working are often used in patients with breast cancer.
How successful is the treatment?
The outlook is best for those diagnosed when the cancer is small and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumor at an early stage can then offer good chances of recovery.
The routine mammogram offered to women in their 50s and 70s means more breast cancer is being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call toll free on 0808 800 6000