Singer Linda Nolan, 64, has opened up about her ongoing battle with cancer, describing it as a 'way of life' and admitting she does not expect to survive the disease for a third time. Nolan was first diagnosed with stage-three breast cancer in 2005, receiving the all-clear in 2006. However, in 2017 she was diagnosed with incurable secondary cancer in her hip, which later spread to her liver in 2020. Earlier this year, two tumours were discovered on the left side of her brain, affecting her speech and balance.
In a candid column for The Mirror, Nolan shared her relief after recent test results showed that her tumours had not grown. 'The relief rolled over me like a wave. Thank God. My tumours are stable and haven’t got any bigger. The chemo is keeping them at bay for now,' she wrote. Despite the positive news, Nolan acknowledged that her cancer is incurable and that she will not ring the bell to mark the end of treatment again. 'I rang that bell twice. And I know now I won’t be ringing it again,' she said.
Nolan described how she has become accustomed to living with cancer, noting that it has become a 'way of life'. She detailed her routine of undergoing chemotherapy every three weeks and keeping a 'cancer book' to record her bloods and weight. She also reflected on observing other patients who finish treatment and ring the bell, expressing happiness for them but accepting her own path. 'I’m not angry,' she said, adding that everyone is on their own 'pathways' on the 'chemo ward conveyor belt', and her path 'runs straight ahead' for now.
Nolan’s health struggles have been compounded by personal losses: her husband Brian died in 2007 and her younger sister Bernie died of cancer in 2013, while her eldest daughter Anne survived the disease. In July, Nolan shaved her head after losing her hair for the fourth time due to treatment. Despite the challenges, she remains determined to carry on with her treatment for as long as she can tolerate it.
