Rita Ora has shared on experiencing a breast cancer scare.
The hitmaker, 30, has opened up about her worries about the illness after her mum, Vera Sahatciu, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005.
The Masked Singer judge reflected on being tested to find out if she was a carrier of the disease and has urged women to check their breasts to ensure they go to their GP if they notice any lumps or changes in a new interview.
Rita told The Sun : “I see these things saying check yourself for lumps but my mother didn’t have a lump she had a sharp pain, and she still went and got checked.
(Image: Rita Ora/Instagram)
“I have done the BRCA test (the hereditary breast cancer test) and the gene test myself and, luckily, I don’t have the gene.
The For You singer added: “But I still check myself regularly. Genetically, there was no history of breast cancer in my family before my mother, but she still got it.”
She also candidly told that she worried a lot in her twenties about being diagnosed with breast cancer and added that her response to pain the area is heightened.
Rita said: “I don’t know if it’s in my head, but it can be a case of a little heartburn and I am like, ‘What is that?’.”
(Image: Frank Micelotta/REX/Shutterstock)
Rita’s brave mum was just 39-years-old when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Vera – who is a psychiatrist working for the NHS – underwent a mastectomy following the 2005 diagnosis.
Last year she appeared on Loose Women and spoke about going through the tough time.
(Image: Getty Images for ABA)
She bravely told: “I myself had breast cancer at the age of 39 and my children were small. My son was only seven.
“It was really difficult and moving to another country I couldn’t speak English at all. Back home I was a GP and had a wonderful career.”
She said: “The journey I had was really tough. At a young age, treatment tends to be more rigours and prolonged.
“When it’s diagnosed younger, treatment gets to be more intense and extensive. I had chemotherapy and radiotherapy and a mastectomy.”