Christine McGuinness has stated that she was diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump.
Due to her family’s history, the 35-year-old reality star, who has a seven-year-old daughter Felicity and nine-year-old twins Leo and Penelope with ex Paddy McGuinness, detected something amiss with one of her breasts and had an emergency appointment.
‘Before I had children, I found a lump one day. Women in my family have had breast cancer,’ she said.
‘Because of that history, I got seen quite quickly,’ she told the Daily Star. ‘I had a full check-up and I had scans.’
Christine was fortunate in that the lump was not malignant, and she now has frequent checkups to ensure her health while also staying on top of it herself.
She added: ‘I always check myself when I’m in the shower.’
The mother-of-three, who divorced her husband Paddy last year, is using her own experience to highlight the need of early detection.
Christine’s mother and three aunts have all battled cancer, and she wants others to take the matter seriously. Christine is an ambassador for the Pink Ribbon Foundation, which distributes funds to cancer organisations.
‘If you see any changes or you are unsure, you’ve got to go and get it checked out,’ she urged.
Her mother Joanne has always been an inspiration to her, and she ‘instilled’ in her a good attitude that she maintains despite her ‘tough’ continuing divorce from Paddy.
‘I am obviously going through a difficult divorce right now, things are hard,’ she told the Mirror. ‘But I will always continue to smile and the reason is because I am my mother’s daughter, she has instilled that in me.’
Christine stated her mother was in remission two years ago, while the celebrity herself received a negative BRCA gene test, having opted to find out after her mother was diagnosed.
‘I’m just really relieved. Thank God it came back negative,’ she told OK! magazine at the time. ‘It doesn’t mean I can’t get cancer, but it means my chances are the same as anybody else’s.’
Macmillan cancer support
If you or someone you care about has been diagnosed with cancer, Macmillan can offer support and information.
You can contact their helpline on 0808 808 00 00 (7 days a week from 8am to 8pm), use their webchat service, or visit their site for more information.
