Hamsa Nandini, the actor who predominantly works in the Telugu film industry, revealed on Monday that she has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer over the last four months.
Hamsa, who was born as Poonam, is best known for her role as warrior princess Madanika in the historical drama Rudhramadevi (2015), starring Anushka Shetty in the lead. She has also appeared in songs of films such as Legend (2015), Ramayya Vasthavayya (2013), and Kittu Unnadu Jagratha (2017) among others. Her filmography predominantly comprises of such dance appearances.
On Monday, the actor shared a note on social media, along with a post-chemotherapy bald picture of herself, and said that she felt a “tiny lump” on her breast four months ago. “That very moment, I knew that my life was never going to be the same. 18 years ago, I had lost my mom to a dreadful disease and I had since lived under its dark shadow. Within a couple of hours, I was at a mammography clinic getting the lump checked out. I was asked to immediately meet up with a surgical oncologist, who suggested that I needed a biopsy. The biopsy confirmed all my fears and I was diagnosed with a Grade III Invasive Carcinoma (Breast Cancer).”
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After many scans and tests, her tumour was surgically removed and the doctors confirmed that there was no spread, Hamsa said. However, her relief was short-lived as she subsequently tested positive for BRCA1 (Hereditary Breast Cancer). “This means that I have a genetic mutation that almost guarantees that I would have a 70% chance of another breast cancer and a 45% chance of ovarian cancer throughout my life. The only way to mitigate the risk is through some very extensive prophylactic surgeries which I need to undergo before I can claim victory,” she added.
Hamsa further said that she has so far gone through nine cycles of chemotherapy and has seven more to go.
The actor noted that she is receiving support from her friends, family, and members of the film industry, and added that she was also “under the care of an exceptional team of doctors.” Thanking her fans for their love and concern, she said that she was “putting up a spirited fight with a dense dose of positivity and gratitude.”