Rita Ora's Emotional Reveal: How Her Mother's Breast Cancer Diagnosis Shook Her World
Rita Ora Opens Up About Her Mom's Breast Cancer Battle: 'It Was Tough Seeing Something That You Believe Has Always and Is Always Going to Be There Just Sort of Like Crumble in Front of You'
In a candid conversation with Davina McCall on her Begin Again podcast, pop star Rita Ora revealed the emotional toll her mother Vera's breast cancer diagnosis took on her as a teenager. The 34-year-old singer, who has been open about her own struggles with PTSD and panic attacks, shared that her mom's health battle left her feeling anxious and worried about her own health.
Vera was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 39 years old in 2005, prompting Rita to miss school to be by her side as she underwent a partial mastectomy, chemotherapy, and radiation. The experience had a profound impact on the young singer, who reflected on those tough times: "It was tough seeing something that you believe has always and is always going to be there just sort of like crumble in front of you... Even when you're a kid, I was a teenager, I was 13 and I was very confused."
Rita revealed that she started visiting doctors more frequently herself after witnessing her mom's treatment process. She confessed: "I definitely wanted to be there for her so I didn't realise actually that that was a thing until I started therapy... I was like 'Oh maybe I'm going to the doctors too many times.' But I do believe that is the reason because I saw that happen and that whole treatment process."
The singer also opened up about her mom's ongoing struggles with PTSD and "never-ending fear" during her regular check-ups. Rita shared: "She still feels that way too when she gets her checkups, you have to always have your regular checkups and my mother always has that fear just during that period of what if and of course that's PTSD... God knows what that must have felt like to go through it but yeah, it's a never-ending fear that will happen when you have that one life-changing experience."
Rita's mom Vera discussed her own breast cancer diagnosis in 2019, describing the experience as "really tough" and stating: "The journey I had was really rigorous and prolonged. When it's diagnosed young, the treatment gets to be more intense... I had chemo, radiotherapy and a mastectomy."
In 2022, Rita broke down in tears while discussing her mom's battle with breast cancer on The Voice Australia. She revealed that she has hypochondria and regularly gets health check-ups due to her experiences watching her mom go through treatment.
Breast Cancer: The Facts
Did you know that breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, affecting over two million women annually? In the UK alone, there are more than 55,000 new cases each year, with 11,500 women losing their lives to the disease. In the US, it strikes 266,000 women every year, claiming 40,000 lives.
What Causes Breast Cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. While the exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear, it's thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell, making it abnormal and causing it to multiply out of control.
Symptoms of Breast Cancer
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid-filled cysts, which are benign. The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit, resulting in swelling or lumps.
Diagnosing Breast Cancer
Initial assessment involves a doctor examining the breasts and armpits, followed by tests such as mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue that can indicate the possibility of tumours. A biopsy, where a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body, is then conducted to examine under a microscope for abnormal cells.
Treating Breast Cancer
Treatment options may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormone treatment. Often, a combination of two or more treatments are used.
