Coleen Nolan has acknowledged that she is nervous about battling cancer because of her family’s history with the disease, but she tries not to ‘overthink it’ since she could’scare herself to death’.
The Loose Women heroine rose to prominence as a member of The Nolans, a musical group comprised of Coleen, Anne, Linda, Denise, and Bernie Nolan, as well as their mother, Maureen Nolan.
Bernie died in 2013 at the age of 52 after being diagnosed with breast cancer, which had returned and spread to her brain, lungs, liver, and bones.
Linda was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and she was given the all-clear five years later. Doctors identified a type of deadly secondary breast cancer on her pelvis, and she announced it had metastasized to her brain in March of this year.
Anne recovered from cancer for the second time in the previous several years, while Coleen revealed in July that she had been diagnosed with basal-cell carcinoma, a kind of skin cancer.
Coleen, 58, stated in a recent interview that it was ‘laughable’ how severely breast cancer had affected her family.
How to check for signs of breast cancer
CoppaFeel! offers these simple steps on how to check your own chest for signs of cancer.
Look
- Look at your boobs, pecs or chest.
- Look at the area from your armpit, across and beneath your boobs, pecs or chest, and up to your collarbone.
Be aware of any changes in size, outline or shape and changes in skin such as puckering or dimpling.
Feel
- Feel each of your boobs, pecs or chest.
- Feel the area from your armpit, across and beneath your boobs, pecs or chest, and up to your collarbone.
Be aware of any changes in skin such as puckering or dimpling, or any lumps, bumps or skin thickening which are different from the opposite side.
Notice your nipples
- Look at each of your nipples.
Be aware of any nipple discharge that’s not milky, any bleeding from the nipple, any rash or crusting on or around your nipple area that doesn’t heal easily and any change in the position of your nipple
‘We get through it all with humour, because what has happened to us is a joke,’ she told The Mirror.
‘I try not to overthink it because I could scare myself to death. Worrying isn’t going to help me and stress, if anything, could lead to other problems. I try not to let it consume my life,’ she continued.
Coleen went on to say that because she is so “aware of it,” she checks herself “as much as she can” and is “not afraid of seeking help.”
Because of her family’s history with breast cancer, the TV personality receives a breast checkup every year and a mammography every two years, she revealed.
She shared that she looked into having elective surgery because she ‘didn’t want to live waiting for the phone call’.
‘But Linda talked me out of it, funnily enough. She said, “I don’t want you to do it because it’s a really big operation,’ she recalled.
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.
