Kara Tointon has received huge support from her famous pals after making the ‘brave decision’ to have a double mastectomy.

In a candid Instagram video, the former EastEnders star, 41, shared she underwent the procedure, along with having her fallopian tubes removed as a preventative measure, after learning she carries the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly BRAC1 gene.

As an ambᴀssador 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. 

And after sharing her journey, friends including Stacey Dooley, Izzy Judd and Ashley James voiced their support for Kara in the comments.

While Stacey posted a heart emoji, Giovanna Fletcher posted: ‘Love you so very much my friend!!!’

From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail’s new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 

Kara Tointon has received huge support from her famous pals, including Giovanna Fletcher (pictured) after making the ‘brave decision’ to have a double mastectomy

Kara’s former EastEnders co-star Jo Joyner wrote: ‘Amazing that you’ve shared your story. Sorry to hear you’ve been through such a difficult journey involving brave choices. 

‘You’re a great ambᴀssador and I’m sure you’ll inspire and inform mayn people. Sending love xx.’

Izzy Judd wrote: ‘Huge admiration to you for sharing your story and making brave decisions.’

Ashley James commented: ‘Oh love you @kara_tointon.’

After Kara shared her candid post about her decision to have a double mastectomy, The Mail’s Good Health columnist Dr Martin Scurr shared insight into her reasonings behind the decision.

He wrote: ‘Watching a loved one succumb to cancer – and then learning you carry the same faulty genes linked to this awful disease – would be doubly distressing.

‘So I completely understand the reasoning behind actress Kara Tointon’s decision to undergo a double mastectomy as well as having her fallopian tubes removed.

‘Removing the at-risk tissue will significantly – although not entirely – reduce her risk from the genes.

In a candid Instagram video, the EastEnders star shared she underwent the procedure, along with having her fallopian tubes removedafter learning she carries the ᴅᴇᴀᴅly BRAC1 gene

And after sharing her journey, friends including Stacey Dooley , Izzy Judd and Ashley James voiced their support for Kara in the comments

What is the BRCA gene and how does it affect people’s risk of cancer?

Having a mutated BRCA gene – as famously carried by Angelina Jolie – dramatically increases the chance a woman will develop breast cancer in her lifetime, from 12 per cent to 90 per cent. 

Between one in 800 and one in 1,000 women carry a BRCA gene mutation, which increases the chances of breast and ovarian cancer. 

Both BRCA1 and BRCA2 are genes that produce proteins to suppress tumours. When these are mutated, DNA damage can be caused and cells are more likely to become cancerous.  

The mutations are usually inherited and increase the risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer significantly.    

When a child has a parent who carries a mutation in one of these genes they have a 50 percent chance of inheriting the mutations.  

About 1.3 per cent of women in the general population will develop ovarian cancer, this increase to 44 percent of women who inherit a harmful BRCA1 mutation. 

Advertisement

‘The two most well-known genes that increase breast cancer risk are called breast cancer susceptibility genes (shortened to BRCA1 and BRCA2). Normally, these genes protect against cancer by helping to repair damaged DNA.

‘But if there are mutations that damage those genes, then the risk of breast cancer increases. 

‘Actress Angelina Jolie famously revealed that she underwent a preventative double mastectomy back in 2013 because she carried a defective BRCA gene.

‘There are also other defective genes that can increase the risk of the disease, but mutations in both BRCAs are responsible for the majority of inherited breast cancers.

‘Living with the cloud of this potential risk hanging over you is something different people deal with differently.

‘Some prefer regular monitoring – Kara tried this, but having now completed her family, has had the surgery.’ 

Kara 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.

Speaking ahead of Eve’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 first a double mastectomy and the second a two part protector study, a trial. 

‘They believe that ovarian cancer begins in the fallopian tubes so by removing them first checking out you can remove the ovaries later.’

Tointon’s operation comes just six years after her mother Carol pᴀssed away following her own battle with ovarian cancer 

Kara took to Instagram on Wednesday to share an emotional post detailing her decision after losing her mother to ovarian cancer in 2018

Tointon, a former Strictly Come Dancing winner, revealed that after having several medical investigations, she decided that surgery was the best option.

‘We are finding out more and more about personal genetics and most people believe in surveillance, but after doing this for a couple of years, having MRIs, waiting for biopsy, we decided that this was the right decision for me and my family,’ she said. 

‘I wasn’t an easy decision, but one I am very glad that I made and I can now with hindsight talk about it properly.’

Tointon is not the only woman in the public eye to talk openly about her procedure. 

Hollywood actress Angelina Jolie also had a double mastectomy as well as having her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, after she was found to have a 50 per cent risk of developing ovarian cancer.’

The actress rose to fame as Dawn Miller in BBC soap EastEnders (pictured, tussling with carly Wicks, played by Kellie Shirley)

Tointon raises two sons Frey, 6 and Helly 4, with her Norwegian partner Marius Jenson, a chiropractor. The family divide their time between Britain and Norway where Kara’s sister Hannah and her father still live. 

Her own mother died of ovarian cancer in 2019, months after the actress revealed she had been struggling with poor health.  

Speaking to HELLO! in 2018 about her plans to marry Jenson, she said: ‘We are hoping next year, perhaps in Norway or maybe in London.

‘My mum hasn’t been too well over the last year or so and I want her to be able to enjoy it.

‘Seeing her with Frey and dealing with everything she has to right now is overwhelming and I couldn’t be more proud. 

‘I just want her to be back to herself again. That’s our priority.’

Paying tribute to Carol in a moving Instagram post shortly after her death, Tointon wrote: ‘I miss you. I miss your voice. I miss your smile. I miss your smell. I miss your hug. I miss your jokes. I miss how you made me feel. I miss your everything.’ 

She added: ‘God I was so lucky muma. Do laugh that I’m reaching out to you on INSTAGRAM. I love you.’ 

Tointon’s mother Carol and father Ken are pictured in an undated pH๏τo shared on social media

Signing off from social media on Wednesday, Tointon paid tribute to the doctors and the Eve appeal charity and their support

The actress gave birth to youngest child Frey in 2018, with her partner subsequently confirming the news in a short message. 

‘On Thursday at 11.04am, 3.2 kilos of happiness joined our lives,’ he wrote. ‘Kara and I couldn’t be happier and our four legged companions Elfie and Winston have been guarding our new family member since.’

Second child Helly was born in 2021, with Tointon later describing the child as ‘very zen, chilled and wonderful’ during a subsequent interview with HELLO!

Jensen added that his name was inspired by his native country Norway, adding that he also has the middle names Juel and Parsell.

He explained: ‘The first Helly we found was an old Norwegian sea captain, from a place in Norway called Moss, a tiny little town where my grandmother is from.’

Signing off from social media on Wednesday, Tointon paid tribute to the doctors and the Eve appeal charity and their support. 

She said: ‘I’d like to thank my surgeons Dr Adam Rosenthal and Dr Gerard Cuie, I can’t thank them enough. 

‘I wanted to talk about it because hearing other people’s experience, helped so much and knowledge is power, communication is key, getting to know our bodies, our cycles is only a good thing, but I’ll be talking about this a lot more. 

‘Happy Lippy month and take care.’

WHAT IS A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY?

A double mastectomy is the removal of both breasts.

This is a way of treating breast cancer and is often done to women who are at a high risk of the disease returning after therapy.

The treatment may also be suitable for women who are unable to have radiation therapy, have a tumour larger than 5cm across or have a mutation, such as in the BRCA gene, that increases their cancer risk.

Most women stay in hospital for one or two nights but are able to return to their regular activities within around four weeks.

Side effects can include pain, swelling, a build up of blood or fluid at the surgery site, limited arm movement and numbness in the chest or upper arm. 

After surgery, some women may wish to have the breast mound rebuilt to restore its appearance in breast reconstruction surgery.

Some patients may require other treatment after a mastectomy such as radiation, chemo or hormone therapy.

Source: American Cancer Society