Sisters Linda and Anne Nolan have disclosed they are both undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, having received their diagnoses around the same time in May. The duo, members of the Irish pop group The Nolans, shared the news on Twitter and in an interview with The Sun.
Linda, 61, is experiencing her third recurrence of cancer, with a new tumour on her liver. She was initially diagnosed with secondary terminal breast cancer in 2017. Anne's breast cancer is stage three, the most serious being stage four.
In June, the sisters underwent a round of chemotherapy together at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital. Linda described telling their siblings: "We laughed and we cried really. It's hysterical. Forget the Chemical Brothers, we've become the Chemo Sisters."
Linda recounted the moment she learned of both diagnoses: "On 7 May our sister Maureen called me at 10am to say that Anne's breast cancer had been confirmed. Then half an hour later my oncologist's secretary phoned me to say, 'We need you to have an MRI scan because we've seen something on your liver'."
The pair said lockdown and fear of coronavirus, given their suppressed immunity, has added difficulty. Anne remarked: "I've not been able to see my daughters and grandchildren. I've not touched them... And I think that's what makes me more sad than anything."
Both are undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy and have lost their hair. Linda has asked about life expectancy and remains hopeful: "As long as the treatment is there... I might be around for another 15, 20 years, hopefully."
