SARAH'S PAIN
What type of cancer did Sarah Harding have?
GIRLS ALOUD star Sarah Harding has lost her battle to breast cancer age 39.
Her mum, Marie, announced the tragic news on September 5.
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What type of cancer does Sarah Harding have?
Sarah announced she had breast cancer.
She revealed that she dismissed a lump on her breast as a cyst during the pandemic in 2020, disguising her "denial" as Covid fear and concern for overrun hospitals.
But it was only when her skin began to bruise that she sought medical help, her organs were already failing and doctors had no choice but to put her in a medically induced coma.
Speaking in her new book Hear Me Out, extracts of which have been shared in , Sarah said: "At first I thought it was just a cyst. The trouble was the pain was getting worse.
"It got so bad that I couldn’t sleep in a bed. Eventually my skin started to bruise. By now I was terrified.
“One day I woke up realising I’d been in denial. Yes there was a pandemic but it was almost as if I’d been using that as an excuse not to face up to the fact that something was very wrong.”
When was Sarah Harding diagnosed?
She announced her diagnosis in August last year.
She posted a photo of herself from her hospital bed and said she is "fighting as hard as I possibly can" and tweeted: "Earlier this year I was diagnosed with breast cancer and a couple of weeks ago I received the devastating news that the cancer has advanced to other parts of my body.
"I’m currently undergoing weekly chemotherapy sessions and I am fighting as hard as I possibly can."
What has Sarah Harding said about treatment?
Sarah said she was rushed to intensive care before her chemotherapy treatment had even begun after a port fitted into her chest led to sepsis.
"With both my lungs and kidneys failing, doctors decided to put me into an induced coma," wrote Sarah. "Even once I was off the ventilator I couldn’t speak properly. All I could do was make noises like a chimpanzee trying to communicate."
After coming out of a coma, Sarah went on to start chemo and had a mastectomy.
Before the operation, she recalled how surgeons made a drawing of the parts of her breast that would need to be removed and she was horrified to see it was 'virtually all of it.'
The singer said she 'screamed the place down' when she came round from the op and was relieved to have her mum by her side.
"Now there’s just a bunch of stitches where my breast used to be. I can’t look at myself in the mirror anymore. I don’t recognise myself,'" she admitted.
Sarah said her treatment appeared to be working but she was then given the devastating news that a second tumour had been located - either at the base of her spine or in the brain.
The singer said despite the outlook, she is refusing to give up hope and is remaining positive about her future.
What are the stages of breast cancer and what do they mean?
There are four stages for breast cancer, with one being the earliest and four meaning it has spread to other parts of the body.
Here are the different stages, as shared by .
Stage one
There are two parts to stage one:
- 1A - This means the tumour is 2cm or less and hasn't spread outside the breast
- 1B - Small areas of breast cancer cells are found in the lymph nodes close to the breast. There is also no tumour in the breast or the tumour is 2cm or less.
Stage two
There are two parts to stage two, and this stage means the cancer is in the breast or nearby lymph nodes:
- 2A - There is no tumour or a tumour 2 centimetres (cm) or smaller in the breast and cancer cells are found in 1 to 3 lymph nodes in the armpit or in the lymph nodes near the breastbone. It can also mean the tumour is larger than 2cm but not larger than 5cm and there is no cancer in the lymph nodes.
- 2B - The tumour is larger than 2cm but not larger than 5cm and there are small areas of cancer cells in the lymph nodes. Or it can mean the tumour is larger than 2cm but not larger than 5cm and the cancer has spread to 1 to 3 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone or the tumour is larger than 5cm and hasn't spread to the lymph nodes.
Stage three
There are three parts to stage three, and this stage means the cancer is in the breast or nearby lymph nodes:
- 3A - There is no tumour or the tumour may be any size and cancer is found in 4 to 9 lymph glands under the arm or in the lymph glands near the breastbone. Or the tumour is larger than 5cm and small clusters of breast cancer cells are in the lymph nodes. It could also mean the tumour is more than 5cm and has spread into up to 3 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone.
- 3B - The tumour has spread to the skin of the breast or the chest wall. The cancer may have spread to up to 9 lymph nodes in the armpit or to the lymph nodes near the breastbone.
- 3C - There are 10 or more lymph nodes in the armpit, lymph nodes above or below the collarbone or lymph nodes in the armpit and near the breastbone.
Stage four
This means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as the bones, lungs, liver or brain.
MORE ON SARAH HARDING
Prior to starting chemo, Sarah contracted sepsis after a port was fitted into her chest, leaving her in intensive care.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
She added: "With both my lungs and kidneys failing, doctors decided to put me into an induced coma.
"Even once I was off the ventilator I couldn't speak properly. All I could do was make noises a chimpanzee trying to communicate."
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