Actress Uma Shankari, best known for her role in the Malayalam movie Kuberan and for her performances in various Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films, recently shared a major health update.
Revealing that she is currently undergoing the second phase of chemotherapy, the actress thanked her family, friends and fans for their unwavering support during one of the toughest phases of her life.
"Round 2 of chemo/immuno, and I’m taking it one day at a time. I’m learning how to handle the days that are heavy, and celebrating the days I feel strong. Thank you to my family for always standing by me, and to my fans for the love and support. I’m showing up, healing, and staying focused on progress. Progress isn’t perfect, but it’s real," her Instagram post mentioned.
The actress first revealed in June that she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer.
What do we need to know about breast cancer?
It is a condition in which abnormal cells in the breast grow out of control and form tumours. If left unchecked, the tumours can spread throughout the body and become fatal. Breast cancer cells begin inside the milk ducts and/or the milk-producing lobules of the breast.
According to WHO, in 2024, there were an estimated 2.4 million women diagnosed with breast cancer and 6,94,000 deaths globally. Approximately 99 per cent of breast cancers occur in women and 0.5–1 per cent of breast cancers occur in men.
It was also observed that in countries with a very high Human Development Index (HDI), 1 in 12 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 71 women die of it. In contrast, in countries with a low HDI, 1 in 27 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime and 1 in 48 women die from it.
Symptoms to look out for:
WHO lists the following as breast cancer symptoms.
- a breast lump or thickening, often without pain
- change in size, shape or appearance of the breast
- dimpling, redness, pitting or other changes in the skin
- change in nipple appearance or the skin surrounding the nipple (areola)
- abnormal or bloody fluid from the nipple.
For more information, consult a health expert.
