Telugu actress Hamsa Nandini has revealed she has been fighting breast cancer for close to four months, along with undergoing several cycles of chemotherapy as well.
Nandini, who has starred in movies such as ‘Atharintiki Dharedi’ and ‘Soggade Chinni Nayana’, took to Instagram on Monday to reveal was diagnosed with a Grade III Invasive Carcinoma (breast cancer) after discovering a small lump in her chest.
“No matter what life throws at me, no matter how unfair it may seem, I refuse to play the victim. I refuse to be ruled by fear, pessimism, and negativity. I refuse to quit. With courage and love, I will push forward,” Nandini wrote on Instagram, while sharing her diagnosis.
“4 months ago, I felt a tiny lump in my breast. That very moment I knew that my life was never going to be the same. 18 years ago I had lost my mom to a dreadful disease and I had since lived under its dark shadow. I was scared,” the actress-model further wrote.
The actress was advised to undergo a biopsy which confirmed she had breast cancer.
“After a plethora of scans and tests, I walked bravely into the Operation Theatre where my tumour was removed. At this point, the doctors confirmed that there was no spread and I was lucky to have caught it early. A silver lining,” she continued.
However, her trauma was far from over, with Nandini stating that she tested positive for the BRCA1 (Hereditary Breast Cancer) gene. “This means that I have a genetic mutation that almost guarantees that I would have a 70% chance of another Breast Cancer and a 45% chance of Ovarian Cancer throughout my life. The only way to mitigate the risk is through some very extensive prophylactic surgeries which I need to undergo before I can claim Victory,” she stated.
The actress revealed that she already undergone nine cycles of life-saving chemotherapy, with another seven to go, along with radiation treatment that will continue for the next three years.
In a bid to educate and motivate, Nandini added that she will continue fighting and hoped to return to films once she’s healed. “I will NOT let this disease Define My Life and that I will fight it with a Smile and Win. I will get back on screen Better & Stronger. I will tell my story so that I can help Educate & Inspire others,” she concluded.
Her message had several members of the Telugu film industry reach out to her for her brave post. Nandini isn’t the first actress to go public with her battle with cancer. Filmmaker and author Tahira Kashyap Khurrana, actress Sonali Bendre, actress-model Lisa Ray and actor Irrfan Khan all spoke about their battle with cancer in the press. While Kashyap Khurrana, Bendra and Ray have all recovered, Khan lost his battle with cancer in April 2020.
