EastEnders’ Samantha Womack talks about undergoing ‘brutal’ chemotherapy while battling cancer
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Samantha Womack has opened up about the “brutal” chemotherapy she underwent while battling cancer.
The EastEnders star, 50, revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer in August.
Thankfully, just five months later, she was declared cancer-free after a lumpectomy and chemotherapy.
Now Samantha has described the effect of the treatment on her mentally, admitting that she was fine physically but that her “brain is a little tired.”
Speak against Subway, she said: ‘It’s quite scary at first. It is important to mention that when it is needed it is still an incredibly potent and potent drug and does a great job.
Candid: Samantha Womack has spoken candidly about the ‘brutal’ chemotherapy she underwent while battling cancer
Diagnosis: The EastEnders star, 50, revealed she was diagnosed with breast cancer in August
“But when you’re fluctuating between numbers, meaning how aggressive the cancer is, you can sometimes, as I did, be on a very thin line as to whether it’s necessary or not.”
“And it’s such a cruel treatment, because it’s poison, and you understand that as it enters your veins, and you feel it very strongly.”
said Samantha OK! last year she was cancer free and all she underwent ongoing treatment ‘for prevention’.
“Now I’m having treatment while going back to work, as prevention… We feel a lot better than we were,” she told the publication.
My breast cancer treatment is still ongoing. The surgery was quite difficult to recover from just because it is quite sensitive when you have lymph nodes removed. In the beginning there are some mobility problems.’
She recalled, “The first round of chemotherapy was actually pretty hardcore, it was pretty toxic,” before adding, “I’ve had radiotherapy for a while to try and destroy any remaining cells.”
Samantha previously revealed that her breast cancer was found during a ‘random check’ and said the disease has ‘attacked’ her ‘femininity’.
Speaking on This Morning, Samantha said she found no lump when she was diagnosed four months ago, saying her cancer was discovered at a random checkup.
“It was really incredible because I didn’t find a lump, I didn’t feel unwell,” she explained.
“There was a lot of illness around our friends and family and I thought I’d get a random checkup and I had an ultrasound, and it showed a little shadow – at that point it could be anything, a cyst…had further investigation and then that diagnosis.’
Samantha described herself as “very lucky” because the lump was less than 2 cm and she was able to have a lumpectomy to have the piece of tissue and five lymph nodes removed.
Surgery: Samantha described herself as “very lucky” because the lump was less than 2cm and she underwent a lumpectomy to have the piece of tissue and five lymph nodes removed
She went on to describe breast cancer as a disease that “affects” your “body” and your “femininity,” while urging other women to get checked.
She said: ‘Breast cancer is a strange one, it affects your body and your femininity, your hair, your breasts, all these beautiful women of all ages.
“So many women should check themselves in their 30s. That is an important message to get out and check.’
The actress also described battling cancer as “terrifying” but praised the treatments now available to treat the disease.