Former EastEnders star Kara Tointon has shared she underwent a preventive double mastectomy and had her Fallopian tubes removed after discovering a gene mutation.
Tointon, who won season 8 of Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, found out she carries the BRCA1 gene, which increases the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers.
In an Instagram video, Tointon explained her decision, which came after her mother died of ovarian cancer in 2018.
"This is personal, but important. I am sharing with you my journey with the BRCA1 gene. It's about understanding, choices, and taking control. Hope this helps someone out there," she wrote in the caption.
In the clip, the former Dawn Swann actor got personal about her mother's illness and how she coped with learning she carries the BRCA gene.
"You may have heard of the BRCA genes, type 1 and 2, and as a carrier it means that 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," Tointon said.
"There is a history of both cancers in my family but for various reasons including generational trauma of which I'll talk more about another time, we hadn't looked into it until that point," she added.
The actor continued: "But it was put to us, we took the test and it was confirmed that my mum and I both carried the gene."
After having two children with her partner Marius Jensen, Tointon decided she didn't plan to have any further children and underwent the surgeries last year.
"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 out you can remove the ovaries later."
The actor stressed how taking the measure wasn't "an easy decision", but said she's "very glad" to have had the chance to know about her body.
"I can now with hindsight talk about it properly," she added, thanking her surgeons.
"I wanted to talk about it because hearing other people's experience, helped so much and knowledge is power, communication is key, getting to know our bodies, our cycles is only a good thing, but I'll be talking about this a lot more."
