Kara Tointon has revealed that she's undergone a double mastectomy after learning that she carries the deadly BRCA1 gene.
The former EastEnders actress, 41, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share an emotional post detailing her decision after losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018.
Tointon, who raises two young children with her fiancé Marius Jensen, announced that she has undergone a double mastectomy and had her fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure.
Tointon's operation comes just six years after her mother Carol passed away following her own battle with the disease.
As an ambassador for the Eve appeal, a charity that raises awareness of gynaecological cancers, the actress opened up to her followers about the journey that led to her discovery that she carries the BRCA1 gene.
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Kara Tointon has revealed that she's undergone a double mastectomy after learning that she carries the deadly BRCA1 gene
Tointon's operation comes just six years after her mother Carol passed away following her own battle with ovarian cancer
Speaking ahead of the charity's Get Lippy campaign to highlight the causes and symptoms of various gynae cancers, Kara revealed that after she losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018, she underwent genetic testing which revealed that she is predisposed to the disease.
She said: '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.
'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.
'But it was put to us, we took the test and it was confirmed that my mum and I both carried the gene.'
As a mother-of-two, Kara told how her family were her main consideration in her decision making.
She said: 'I was pregnant with my first child at the time, knew I wanted more children if possible so over the next couple of years I was invited to various meetings by the NHS to really become informed and to understand all my options.
'Last year having had my second son in 2021 and deciding that our family was complete, I underwent two preventative surgeries.
The actress paid tribute to her late mother in a moving Instagram post (pictured), shared shortly after her death in 2019
Tointon raises two sons Frey, 6 and Helly 4, with her Norwegian partner Marius Jenson, a chiropractor (pictured together in 2021)
The former EastEnders actress took to Instagram on Wednesday to share an emotional post detailing her decision after losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018
