EastEnders star Samantha Womack has opened up on the "brutal" treatment that she underwent for breast cancer, which she shared her diagnosis with in August 2022.
The actress, who played Ronnie Mitchell in the BBC soap between 2007 and 2017, spoke to Metro.co.uk about her experience of diagnosis, treatment and life since being told she was cancer-free, explaining that the chemotherapy she underwent was "quite terrifying at the beginning".
"It's important to mention that when it's needed it's still an incredibly powerful and potent drug and does an amazing job," she said.
"But when you're teetering between grades, meaning how aggressive the cancer is, you can sometimes sit, as I did, on a very fine line as to whether it's needed or not. And it's such a brutal treatment to have."
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Womack is supporting the further rollout of a cancer diagnostic tool called Digistain, which aims to provide cancer patients and the oncologists treating them with more detailed information to inform their treatment plans.
"I think we need to have these tests fully available on the NHS, in the hospitals, where your tumour is," she said.
Womack also spoke about how being open about her diagnosis has helped her, although added that at first, she felt reluctant to share the news publicly.
"I had a real change of heart about it, because initially, when I was diagnosed - I think people that are diagnosed will understand this - I immediately felt a sense of shame and secrecy," she said.
"I don't know why, maybe it's the fear of looking vulnerable, or not being employed!
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"What I was learning throughout the journey was that, because you're part of a medical journey, all of your conversations are about that. But there's a kind of emotional journey that you're also on where you just feel very alone and alienated."
After initially only sharing the news with her closest family and friends, it was the sad death from breast cancer of Grease star Olivia Newton-John, who Samantha had worked with, which encouraged her to share news of her own diagnosis publicly.
"Before I second-guessed myself, I put it out on Instagram," she said. "When I woke up in the morning, I was actually dreading it, thinking, 'Oh god, why did you do that?'"
However, she said she felt "blown away" by the personal messages of support that she received.
"I was inundated with women - and men actually, who are also diagnosed with breast cancer - with so many stories... I really needed it. I genuinely believe that was the moment I started to feel less alone," she recalled.
A post shared by Sam Womack (@samzjanus)
"I just thought, 'This is really important now.' I need to share it because that's what we should do when we're struggling. We should reach out and try and help as many people as possible, because you get that help back yourself."
Womack revealed in December last year that she was cancer-free, but the actress has explained that she remains vigilant and that having cancer has changed her outlook on life.
"We all like to use different terminology, and all-clear is a wonderful thing meaning the tumour is gone and there's no evidence of the cancer at the moment. But what that means is there's no evidence of tumours at the moment," she said.
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She added: "It changes your perspective, and it's changed my outlook on certain things. That's the gift that an illness can give you sometimes. It's like the sunglasses are taken off and you suddenly get to see things really vividly.
"I don't have any more tumours at the moment, I'm clear in that respect, but I'm still incredibly cautious about getting my check-ups every year. But also trying not to spend my life waiting to see if it's around the corner.
"That's the most complicated thing with cancer, is trying to put it in a place where you're responsible about it but you're also not letting it breathe down your neck every second of every day."
The star also spoke about her excitement over returning to work in July, in a stage production of 42nd Street the Musical, joking that her grandma would finally say that she is in a "proper show!"
EastEnders airs on Mondays-Thursdays at 7.30pm on BBC One. The show also streams on BBC iPlayer.
If you would like more information or support about living with cancer or treatment, please click here for guidance from MacMillan Cancer Support, or click here to learn more from Stand Up to Cancer.