Cherishing Family Memories
- Linda Nolan, 65, has been cherishing a string of birthdays and family celebrations as she fights day-to-day symptoms of advanced-stage breast cancer.
- The Irish singer, who rose to fame with sisters Maureen, Anne, Bernie, and Coleen, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2006, which has now spread to her liver, brain and bones.
- Nolan, who is the sixth of eight siblings, was the third sister in her family to get breast cancer.
- If you have a family history of cancer, ask you doctor what genetic testing may be right for you.
In a post penned for The Mirror, the Irish entertainer — of the famed girl group The Nolans — admits for a moment that she may be putting too much pressure on herself, then quickly recoils.
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Though the Dublin-born actress admitted that her brain fog and fatigue have been getting increasingly more difficult and she’s been feeling “wobbly,” she chooses to look on the bright side: “I’m sure I’ll be okay again in a week.”
Linda Nolan’s Breast Cancer Journey
Nolan once toured with the legendary Frank Sinatra during her rise to fame with sisters Maureen, Anne, Bernie, and Coleen. The band had seven international hits in the 1970s and 1980s, including I‘m In the Mood for Dancing.
Nolan was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2006. She went into remission the following year, but the disease recurred, meaning came back, in 2017, to her hip.
In 2020, the disease spread to Nolan’s liver, according to her interview with the BBC, and last year, Nolan announced it had metastasized to her brain.
Sharing a more favorable update on Good Morning Britain last month, Nolan said that the cancer in her liver and bones has not progressed, or gotten worse, and the tumors in her brain have shrunk a bit.
Nolan, who is the sixth of eight siblings, was the third sister in her family to get breast cancer.
Tragically, she’s lost both her husband Brian and her sister Bernie to cancer.
A Family History of Breast Cancer
About ten percent of breast cancers are hereditary, says Dr. Ophira Ginsburg, Director of the High-Risk Cancer Program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center.
What this means is any genetic testing offered to the average woman will likely come back negative.
That’s why Dr. Ginsburg recommends screening usually only for women who have a family history of rare cancers, or family members with breast or ovarian cancer and other cancers associated with the Lynch Syndrome (a genetic condition that puts you at high risk for certain cancers), or if there’s a family history of common cancers diagnosed at a young age.
Should I Get Genetic Testing to Assess My Risk for Breast Cancer?
If you do have this family history, Dr. Ginsburg recommends asking about your cancer center’s hereditary cancer program and/or finding a genetic counselor through the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC ) to discuss what kind of genetic testing is right for you.
Why Support Matters
Surrounding yourself with loved ones during cancer, no matter what stage, is highly important.
“Some people don’t need to go outside of their family and friend’s circle. They feel like they have enough support there,” psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik previously told SurvivorNet.
The Benefit of a Support Network for People Living with Cancer
“But for people who feel like they need a little bit more, it’s important to reach out to a mental health professional,” Dr. Plutchik added.
Dr. Plutchik also stressed that the emotions of someone living with cancer can vary daily.
“People can have a range of emotions…they can include fear, anger, and these emotions tend to be fluid. They can recede and return based on where someone is in the process,” Dr. Plutchik said.
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