Coleen Nolan has said she is considering an elective double mastectomy operation, following the news that two of her sisters have been diagnosed with cancer.
Last week, it was reported that Coleen’s sister and bandmate Linda Nolan is undergoing treatment for liver cancer, while Anne Nolan has stage three breast cancer.
The singers’ late sister, Bernie Nolan, also had breast cancer, and died in 2013 at the age of 52.
Speaking to The Mirror, the Loose Women presenter said that the disease could be the result of a “rogue gene” from their father’s side of the family, sharing that she is considering surgery to minimise her own chances of developing the disease.
“Seeing what Anne and Linda are going through has made me think a lot about having a mastectomy,” she explained. “I’ve been lying in bed at night, looking down at my breasts and thinking, ‘Am I just walking around with two timebombs here?’.
“If that’s a possibility, maybe I need to get rid of them.”
Coleen continued: “My kids definitely think I should investigate surgery. They’re absolutely terrified because they’ve seen cancer ravage our family.”
Both Anne and Linda are undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy, with Anne finishing hers first on 11 September.
She has been told she will have either a mastectomy or lumpectomy, most likely followed by radiotherapy.
Linda faces living with cancer for the rest of her life, but she has been told if she responds to treatment, she could have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years.
She said: “By that time I’ll be an old woman. I’ll be 75 in 15 years, and I would’ve had a great life. So that’s why I’m again, for the third time, going to give it everything I’ve got.”
After a breast cancer scare in 2009, while she was competing on Dancing On Ice, Coleen said she now sees a specialist every year to check for abnormalities.
Coleen, Anne, Linda and Bernie originally rose to fame as members of the family band The Nolans, which also originally featured their sisters Maureen and Denise.
The group are best known for their hit I’m In The Mood For Dancing, originally released in 1979.