Exclusive: ITV Loose Women’s Sunetra Sarker has first mammogram after losing two friends to cancer

In a bid to encourage other women to get their breasts checked with regular mammograms, Loose Women star Sunetra Sarker is putting her fears aside and taking the huge step in her health journey in honour of her beloved friends who have sadly passed away from cancer

Last year, Loose Women launched its landmark breast cancer campaign ‘Don’t Skip Your Screening’ to encourage women to book their potentially life-saving mammogram appointment when invited.

Today, Loose Women star Sunetra Sarker will continue to highlight the importance of screening – as she puts her health at the top of her to-do list and goes for her first-ever mammogram, sharing every step of the process with the viewers at home.

In November last year, Loose Women’s multi-award winning panel joined forces with Sarah, Duchess of York to launch the campaign and in the week after the special episode aired, visits to the breast screening and mammogram pages on the NHS website increased by a staggering one-third.

The brave move by Sunetra, 50, is particularly poignant for the actress and Loose Women favourite given the fact she lost two of her best friends to breast cancer last year. In a bid to encourage other women to get their breasts checked with regular mammograms, Sunetra is putting her fears aside and taking a huge step in her health journey in honour of her beloved friends who have sadly passed away from the disease.

Sunetra Sarker is undergoing her first ever mammogram and it'll be documented on Loose Women
Sunetra Sarker is undergoing her first ever mammogram and it’ll be documented on Loose Women 
Image:
MIRROR/ITV)

Ahead of Thursday’s episode, Sunetra Sarker said:  After losing two of my best friends last year to cancer, I had a real wake-up call about how important screening actually is. It’s very easy to hide your head in the sand over these issues but we have to do it together. We have to catch everything we can, as early as possible. You get to a certain age and it becomes even more important than it did last year, and every year that goes on. We can’t keep burying our head in the sand and I owe it to my friends to make sure I do this.”

Sharing a message with Loose Women fans, Sunetra added: “If you’ve got any friends or family that you’ve lost [to breast cancer], you owe it to them to have a screening.”

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK. Most women diagnosed with breast cancer are over the age of 50, but younger women can also get breast cancer.

The star had a "real wake-up call" after losing two friends to breast cancer
The star had a “real wake-up call” after losing two friends to breast cancer 
Image:
MIRROR/ITV)
About 1 in 7 women are diagnosed with breast cancer during their lifetime. There’s a good chance of recovery if it’s detected at an early stage. For this reason, it’s vital that women check their breasts regularly for any changes and always have any changes examined by a GP.

Breast cancer can have several symptoms, but the first noticeable symptom is usually a lump or area of thickened breast tissue. Other symptoms include a change in the size or shape of one or both breasts, a lump or swelling in either of your armpits, dimpling on the skin of your breasts, or a rash on or around your nipple.

If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.

Related Posts

Prince Harry’s secret visa files released – but key question remains over drug use

The conservative Heritage Foundation had campaigned to have Prince Harry’s Visa application released after he admitted to taking cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms A US judge has…

Zara McDermott shakes off Sam Thompson dig as she ‘moves fast’ with Louis Tomlinson

Zara McDermott was recently spotted on a date with Louis Tomlinson as pals have claimed the pair are ‘moving fast’ but are ‘happy’ for them – while…

Paddy McGuinness puts lavish £6.5m home on the market as Christine ‘desperate’ to move on

Christine McGuinness is said to be feeling ‘desperate’ to start a fresh as her estranged husband Paddy McGuinness has put their former marital home up for sale…

Victoria Beckham confirms part in Jennifer Aniston’s ex Justin Theroux’s wedding

Victoria Beckham confirmed she had a huge role in Jennifer Aniston’s ex-husband Justin Theroux’s wedding to Nicole Brydon Bloom Victoria Beckham confirms part in Jennifer Aniston’s ex…

Celebrity Big Brother star Bradley Riches joins Emmerdale in mysterious new role

Celebrity Big Brother star and Heartstopper actor Bradley Riches has joined the cast of Emmerdale in a mysterious new role, with the scenes set to debut in…

Coleen Nolan interrupts Loose Women co-star to take swipe at ex-husband

Loose Women took an awkward turn on Tuesday when Coleen Nolan made a savage Alfie Moon comment Loose Women: Coleen asks Charlene about her first child’s name…