"I Refuse To Quit": Actor Hamsa Nandini Shares Grade Three Breast Cancer Diagnosis

Tollywood actor and model Hamsa Nandini opened up on her breast cancer diagnosis in a searing post Monday on social media. The 37-year-old said that she was facing a "full blown war" with the disease and that she refuses to quit. "No matter what life throws at me, no matter how unfair it may seem, I refuse to play the victim. I refuse to be ruled by fear, pessimism, and negativity," she wrote.

In a lengthy statement, Nandini revealed she was diagnosed with grade three invasive carcinoma four months ago and medical intervention was administered through operation. The cancer had not spread and had been caught early, doctors said. "The relief was short lived..." she continues.

Nandini tested positive for BRCA1, a hereditary cancer, which "guarantees" she has a 70 percent chance of breast cancer again and 45 percent chance of ovarian cancer. She says in the same post that she lost her mother 18 years ago to "a dreadful disease."

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"The only way to mitigate the risk is through some very extensive prophylactic surgeries which I need to undergo before I can claim victory," Nandini wrote. "Currently, I have already undergone 9 cycles of Chemotherapy with 7 more to go."

As messages of solidarity and support pour in for Nandini on social media, her post reads, "I have made myself a few promises:-

I will NOT let this disease Define My Life and that I will fight it with a Smile and Win. I will get back on screen Better & Stronger. I will tell my story so that I can help Educate & Inspire others. And, I will Consciously Celebrate Life & all it has to offer.

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Who is Hamsa Nandini? 

Hailing from Pune, Nandini has been a model for television, magazine and sporting events and has also walked international fashion ramps. She is best known for appearing in dance numbers in Telugu films like Mirchi and Ramayya Vasthavayya, to name a couple.

Nandini also has a credit to her name in the 2006 Hindi film Corporate, which starred Bipasha Basu in the lead. She was last seen in Pantham, a Telugu heist film that was released in 2018.