Strictly winner Kara Tointon has double mastectomy after cancer gene test
The 41-year-old former star of EastEnders, also known for her work in dramas including The Teacher and Mr Selfridge, discovered she has the BRCA gene, which can put carriers at a very high risk of cancer.
On Wednesday, Tointon posted an Instagram video to raise awareness of the preventative measures she had taken.
Working in collaboration with the Eve Appeal, a gynaecological cancer charity for which she is an ambassador, she told her followers: 'You may have heard of the BRCA genes 1 and 2. As a carrier, it means I am at a greater risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.
'Back in 2018, when my mum was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, I was asked to take a genetics test. There is a history of both cancers in my family on my mother's side, but for various reasons, we hadn't looked into it until that point.
'But it was put to us, we took the test, and it was confirmed that my mum and I both carried the gene.'
The actress, who won Strictly with professional dancer Artem Chigvintsev in 2010, announced the death of her mother, Carol, in 2019.
Tointon, a mother of two, explained on the Instagram video: 'I was pregnant with my first child at the time [of the test], knew I wanted more children if possible, so over the next couple of years I was invited to various meetings by the NHS, to really become informed and to understand all my options.
'Last year, having had my second son in 2021 and deciding that our family was complete, I underwent two preventative surgeries, the first a double mastectomy and the second a two-part protector study, a trial.
'They believe that ovarian cancer begins in the fallopian tubes so, by removing them first, checking them out, you then remove the ovaries later, closer to menopause.
'We are finding out more and more about personal genetics and many people find that regular surveillance suits them very well, but for me, having done that for a few years, MRIs finding things, biopsies, waiting for results, I decided that this was the right decision for me and my family.
'It wasn't an easy decision, but one I'm very glad and lucky I made, and I can now, with hindsight, talk about it properly.'
Angelina Jolie, the Hollywood actress, underwent a double mastectomy in 2013 at the age of 37 after she discovered she carried the BRCA1 gene following her mother's death from ovarian cancer. She also spoke publicly about her treatment to raise awareness.
Around one in 1,000 women across the UK have a BRCA1 variant, but most breast and ovarian cancers happen because of chance damage to genes.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Warning over commonly prescribed drug millions take every day
Medication taken by millions of people to relieve heartburn and acid reflux can have a harmful impact on digestion in the long term, a pharmacist has warned. Deborah Grayson, dubbed the 'Godmother of Pharmacology', took to TikTok to discuss how omeprazole - a proton pump inhibitor (PPI) - can affect gut health. Mrs Grayson said that while the drugs may offer sufferers momentary relief, they could also cause problems - leading to bloating and nausea, weight gain and vitamin deficiencies. PPIs are one of the UK's most prescribed mediations in the UK, with 73 million NHS prescriptions dispensed in England in 2022-23, at a cost of £190m. She explained: 'Omeprazole stops heartburn and reflux, but how does it really work? It's a PPI, and that interferes with the cells of the stomach responsible for producing stomach acid. So, if we stop the stomach from producing acid - by taking a PPI - the theory is that we will stop the acid coming back into the oesophagus and causing heartburn and reflux. READ MORE: Mum had shoulder pain - now she has 'to make the most of what I've got' READ MORE: Heartbeat legend favourite to play lead detective in Death in Paradise-style spin-off 'There's often a discussion about whether heartburn is related to low or high stomach acid. But actually it's to do with the timing of the stomach acid. While stopping your stomach producing that acid can be beneficial in the short term, it's not always great for your digestion in the longer term as we need that acid to break down our food. 'It can be helpful to have omeprazole if you've got gastritis or erosion in your oesophagus, but if you've only got simple heartburn-related problems, longer term it can have greater impacts on the body.' Acid reflux happens when stomach acid flows back into the oesophagus, often causing heartburn - a burning sensation in the chest or throat. Normally, a valve called the lower esophageal sphincter prevents this, but if it weakens or relaxes at the wrong time, acid can escape and irritate the oesophagus. Triggers include stress, excess weight, eating too quickly, or consuming alcohol, caffeine and chocolate. Pregnancy hormones can also raise the risk. While reflux is uncomfortable, stomach acid is essential for digestion. It activates pepsin, an enzyme that breaks down proteins, and helps soften food. It also protects against harmful microbes in food. Mrs Grayson said low stomach acid may increase infection risk and hinder absorption of key nutrients like Vitamin B12, iron, calcium and magnesium. Mrs Grayson, who has been working as a pharmacist for 30 years, and also runs Practice With Confidence, teaching transformative patient care, said: 'Long-term use of PPIs can significantly impair digestion. 'Stomach acid plays a crucial role in breaking down food, particularly proteins, and activating enzymes like pepsin. When acid levels are too low, food may not be properly digested, leading to symptoms such as bloating, nausea, abdominal discomfort, and IBS-like issues including flatulence, constipation, or diarrhoea. 'Poor digestion may also contribute to nutrient malabsorption, potentially leading to fatigue or weight fluctuations. Reduced stomach acid can also compromise the gut's natural defense barrier, increasing susceptibility to infections such as Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). 'These can cause further gastrointestinal symptoms and, in some cases, serious complications.' Under her TikTok handle @tgopharm, Mrs Grayson explained in a previous video that if you're a frequent sufferer of acid reflux and heartburn, lifestyle changes can make a real difference. Taking the time to eat slowly and mindfully is essential for proper digestion. If you're too busy to cook, Mrs Grayson suggested starting the 'anticipation process' around 20 to 30 minutes before eating. She said: 'Think about what you are going to have, how it tastes and how it smells. This can trigger the anticipatory response in the same way that preparing it yourself would have done. 'Modern lifestyles have resulted in many people deciding they are hungry, dashing into the nearest food outlet and eating food within minutes. 'This means that the body has to play catch up, exacerbating symptoms' In another video shared on her platform, Mrs Grayson recommended 'disconnecting from technology and doing some alternate nostril breathing' - which can help with switching on your digestion and reducing reflux. She also said to avoid trigger foods, such as peppermint, chocolate, coffee, citrus and tomatoes and leave a gap between eating and sleep, as lying down with a full stomach can trigger reflux. Mrs Grayson said a window of three hours between your final meal and bedtime is optimal. Mrs Grayson has previously spoken about the damaging impact of omeprazole, discussing how it can make symptoms worse in the long-run and can make someone become dependent on it. She said: 'We are sleepwalking into a significant culture of PPI addiction due to over-prescribing without clear reason and failure to give patients a clear exit strategy from the treatment.' Research shows up to 40 per cent of patients do not respond to a PPI, so the drug is rendered useless in those cases.
Elle
an hour ago
- Elle
Pete Davidson Felt ‘Guilty and Horrible' When Elsie Hewitt Was Forced to Announce Pregnancy
THE RUNDOWN In July, Pete Davidson and girlfriend Elsie Hewitt announced they were expecting their first child together. In an August 13 interview with The Breakfast Club, the Saturday Night Live alum explained how his fame pushed Hewitt to make the announcement and expressed regret over the loss of privacy. 'I feel bad for my girl because I bring a lot of shit,' Davidson admitted. 'Anything I do or she does now is gonna be a thing. She's a very private person and she's the one doing all the work. It's supposed to be a beautiful experience.' The comedian added that he feels a lot of responsibility for the situation even though at this point in his career, the attention is out of his hands and Hewitt doesn't seem to blame him. 'She's never made me feel this way or said anything,' he explained. 'But I feel so guilty and horrible that I could not allow her to have the ideal pregnancy that almost every woman gets to have and enjoy.' The Bupkis star said they 'held off as long as we could' before posting about the pregnancy on Instagram. On July 16, Hewitt shared her sonogram and pics with Davidson, joking in the caption, 'Welp now everyone knows we had sex.' Shortly after, Davidson told E! News, 'I'm very lucky and very, very happy,' adding that he hopes to be able 'to take care of something and show it the childhood I didn't have.' 'I assume you just try to give then what you didn't have, and what you didn't like, not do it,' Davidson continued. 'Everybody's just been super excited for me, because they know it's been my dream. They all just have been like, 'You're going to be great at this. It's the best thing you'll ever do in your life.'' He added, 'It's been really nice that everyone's super excited. When you do something, when we do anything, you want everyone to be excited, especially having a child.'
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Caitlin Clark's boyfriend heartbroken over family tragedy: ‘I refuse to say goodbye'
Caitlin Clark's boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, is mourning the death of his grandmother. McCaffery posted a tribute to Marit Smaby-Nowlin on Saturday, sharing a photo of him with his grandmother when he was a young boy. 'I've been trying to think of what to say and I can't,' McCaffery wrote in the caption. 'It's impossible to put into words how much you meant to our entire family. I refuse to say goodbye, so until we meet again.' Advertisement Clark responded in the comments with several hearts and prayer-hands emojis. 6 Connor McCaffery shared this photo of him and his grandma on Instagram. Instagram/connor_m30 6 Caitlin Clark responded to Connor's comment. Instagram/connor_m30 Advertisement Smaby-Nowlin, 80, died after she was found unresponsive in Lake Vermilion in northeast Minnesota on Wednesday, according to the Star Tribune. Family members were attempting to revive Smaby-Nowlin when first responders arrived, according to the report. The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office told the Tribune that she died after being transported to Cook Hospital. 6 Caitlin Clark and boyfriend Connor McCaffery. Instagram/caitlinclark22 Advertisement 6 Connor McCaffrey and Caitlin Clark at a Yankees game last year. JASON SZENES FOR THE NEW YORK POST 6 Caitlin Clark and boyfriend Connor McCaffery. Instagram/connor_m30 She was the mother to four daughters, including Margaret, McCaffery's mom, who was a standout basketball player in St. Paul before playing at Notre Dame. Margaret married McCaffery's dad, Fran, the longtime Iowa head coach who's now the head coach at the University of Pennsylvania. Advertisement Clark, the Indiana Fever star, and McCaffery celebrated their two-year anniversary in April. 6 Connor McCaffery playing basketball for Iowa. Robert Sabo for the NY POST 'Another year with my favorite person :) I'm so thankful for you 🖤🖤,' Clark wrote on Instagram at the time. The couple met while they were basketball players at Iowa. McCaffery is currently an assistant coach for the Butler men's basketball program. He worked for the NBA's Pacers as a basketball development coordinator during the 2023-24 season.
