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Loose Women's Brenda Edwards opened up about the newfound confidence she gained in the bedroom after finishing chemotherapy back in 2016.
The 55-year-old, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015, spoke about how it changed things for her on Monday's episode of the ITV show.
The panel, which consisted of Ruth Langsford, 64, Ayla Field, 45, Sally Dynevor, 61, and Brenda, got chatting about if women have a 'sexual sell-by date'.
This led Brenda to talk about how an illness can affect being intimate.
Brenda said: 'The one thing that I will say is when I had my chemo, back in 2016 when I had my chemotherapy, there was a period where I was really tired naturally because of the treatment I had.
'Then there was this new lease of life.'
Loose Women's Brenda Edwards opened up on Monday's episode of Loose Women about her newfound confidence in the bedroom after finishing chemotherapy back in 2016
She explained: 'I was ready to explore my new body, I'm proud of my new body, and if somebody wants to explore that with me... come let's go!'
Brenda was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was just 46, but has now been cancer-free for 10 years.
The star found a lump in her breast, and later had six months of chemotherapy and then had a mastectomy.
Back in October 2024 she opened up about how her diagnosis changed her as a person.
She told The Mirror: 'Having cancer changes anybody, because you face a life of uncertainty, so it does make you appreciate life every day.
'I’m very grateful for what life brings me. I’ve always been a go-getter but now I’m even more so.
'If you don’t try, you’ll never know. You might succeed, so I’ll try almost anything.'
Meanwhile Coronation Street star Sally said that she had a different experience.
The 55-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015 and spoke about how it changed things for her (pictured on the show in 2016)
The actress, who plays Sally Webster in the ITV soap, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and had chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
The soap star has made a full recovery.
Speaking about her confidence, Sally said on Loose Women: 'I didn't feel like that, Brenda.
'I lost a lot of confidence at that time, about myself.
'Luckily I'm married to someone, he has built my confidence up, I'm much better now.
'But it did take me a long time to feel good about myself again, after going through something like that.
'It took me a while to go actually "you're OK". I'm fitter now!'
Ruth asked: 'How long did it take you to get over that?'
Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor said that she had a different experience after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009 and having chemotherapy and radiotherapy
Sally said of her husband (pictured back in 2013): 'Luckily I'm married to someone, he has built my confidence up, I'm much better now'
Sally said: 'A few years. It was a journey. It's 15 years. I'm much better now! I'm fitter now, I'm better at accepting myself now then when I was.'
The soap star and husband Tim tied the knot in 1995.
The couple share three kids: fellow actor Phoebe as well as Hattie and Samuel.
Loose Women airs weekdays from 12:30pm on ITV.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called 'invasive'. Some people are diagnosed with 'carcinoma in situ', where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply 'out of control'.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the 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. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the 'female' hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000
