Linda and Anne Nolan have revealed they are both receiving treatment for
cancer after being diagnosed within days of each other.
The siblings – who are part of the famous Nolan Sisters – have been undergoing chemotherapy together during lockdown at Blackpool’s Victoria Hospital. Anne, 69, has breast cancer, which she has been told is at stage three – the most serious being stage four. It is the second time she has been told she has breast cancer, previously being diagnosed in 2000.
Just days after Anne’s diagnosis in May, Linda was told she has incurable cancer in her liver, which is the fourth time she has had the disease.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, cellulitis and lymphoedema in her arm in 2007, and secondary cancer on her pelvis in 2017, which was discovered after she broke her hip during a fall at home.
The pair opened up about their fight against the disease in an interview with The Sun, where they revealed they have both lost their hair as a result of their chemo treatment.
They recalled telling their sisters – Denise, Maureen and Loose
Women star Coleen – of their diagnosis, with Linda, 61, saying: “We laughed and we cried really. It’s hysterical.
“Forget the Chemical Brothers, we’ve become the Chemo Sisters.”
Both also told of their fear of dying after they lost their sister Bernie to cancer in 2013 at the age of 52, but remain determined to beat it.Linda said: “It’s just really hard and I’m scared of dying. I don’t want to die.
“I want to be around and see my great nieces and nephews grow up, and that’s why I’m putting everything I’ve got into trying to get well.”
Anne’s treatment has proved particularly difficult, as she spent 11 days in hospital after the chemo made her ill.
She also revealed she has been suffering with anxiety attacks as a result of the added stresses of the pandemic, which mean she has not been able to see her daughters and grandchildren.
“I’ve not touched them, I’ve not been able to hug them or kiss them, and I think that’s what makes me more sad than anything,” she said. Both sisters are undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy, with Anne finishing her’s 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.”
Coleen Nolan publicly supported her sisters as their interview was published on Sunday night, with her management posting a statement on her
Twitter account. They’ve beaten it before - they can beat it again ❤️ Coleen’s brave sisters Linda and Anne sadly reveal they both have cancer again In tomorrows papers, here is a preview below. Please keep them in your thoughts and well wishes X https://t.co/AHAVAnWJtC— Coleen Nolan The Nolans Go Cruising Tues Quest Red (@NolanColeen) August 2, 2020“They’ve beaten it before – they can beat it again,” it read. “Please keep them in your thoughts and well wishes.”READ MORE: 5 Women Diagnosed With Breast Cancer On The Acts Of Kindness That Brought Them Joy How To Spot The Symptoms Of Liver Cancer What You Should Know About Secondary Breast Cancer