Emmerdale legend Malandra Burrows has revealed her stance on a possible mastectomy, following her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
The 56-year-old actress was diagnosed in February and recently had a stage three tumour removed, and is now set to undergo six months of chemotherapy.
Talking to OK!, Malandra, who played Kathy Glover in Emmerdale, said she is sharing her diagnosis in order to raise awareness, and she's determined to fight the disease.
The I'm a Celeb contestant won't be given a prognosis by medics until her chemotherapy course concludes, but she did speak about the possibility of a mastectomy- the name for surgery which removes one or both breasts.
Taking a humorous approach Malandra said: “There is no point in having wonderful boobs that are your own but you’re pushing up daisies,” she says. “This is saving your life, so if it’s got to be done…”
She went on: “I thought, "Ooh maybe I’ll get some nice new boobs out of it, lovely!’ You’ve got to look on the bright side. When you see what’s happening in Ukraine, I just think I’m really lucky and all the treatment I’m getting, whether I love it or hate it, is there to save my life.”
Malandra was diagnosed after finding a lump a month earlier while exercising.
At first she didn't think she needed to worry, but after a few days rang her GP, and she was asked to visit within the hour.
A week later she was at hospital, but the first consultant told her it was cyst. However a follow-up scan and ultrasound revealed the devastating truth.
Arriving at the hospital to hear the results of the scan and ultrasound, she was greeted by a Macmillan nurse, and therefore had a feeling what was coming next.
Malandra, who has lost friends to breast cancer, was due to have a routine mammogram in 2020, but it was cancelled because of the pandemic.
She believes the cancer may have been spotted earlier if the appointment had gone ahead.
Now Malandra is urging women to get mammograms and ring their GP if they see something seems odd.
Malandra, who also has a singing career, portrayed one of Emmerdale's longest running characters Kathy from 1985 to 2001, and returned for a brief time in 2005.
Kathy, who was married three times and dumped at the alter, saw lots of drama in her time, having been kidnapped, knocked down by a horse and trapped in a bus crash wreckage, to name but a few plotlines.
As well as Emmerdale, Malandra has presented shows such as Soap Addicts and appeared on reality TV programmes, such as I'm a Celeb in 2006 and Channel 5's The All Star Talent Show.
