Victoria Ekanoye of Coronation Street has disclosed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer just months after giving birth to her first child.
The 39-year-old British-Nigerian actress revealed the terrible news to OK! Magazine, saying she noticed a tumor in her breast while feeding her 11-month-old son Theo, whom she shares with husband Jonny Lomas.
She said: ‘I was diagnosed on October 13 with DCIS, which is Ductal carcinoma in situ. It basically means that cells have turned cancerous within the milk ducts.’
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Victoria told the publication: ‘Back in July I was feeding Theo and I noticed there was a small lump protruding at the top of my left breast.
‘My mum had breast cancer at 41, and her sister at 39 – so many people in my family, in fact. So I don’t really leave any time before I check these things…
‘I was diagnosed on the thirteenth of October with DCIS, which is Ductal carcinoma in situ. It basically means that cells have turned cancerous within the milk ducts…
‘We’re being really optimistic, and positive, and really lucky that we’ve caught it as early as we have. I don’t know if lucky is the right word, but that’s how I feel.’
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Victoria, who portrays Angie Appleton on the soap, revealed earlier this year that she was afraid her ‘miracle’ baby boy would die during her horrific three-day labor owing to difficulties with her sickle cell anemia.
Breastcancer.org defines DCIS as: ‘Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is non-invasive breast cancer. Ductal means that the cancer starts inside the milk ducts, carcinoma refers to any cancer that begins in the skin or other tissues (including breast tissue) that cover or line the internal organs, and in situ means “in its original place.”
‘DCIS is called “non-invasive” because it hasn’t spread beyond the milk duct into any normal surrounding breast tissue. DCIS isn’t life-threatening, but having DCIS can increase the risk of developing invasive breast cancer later on.’
