Kara Tointon bravely reveals she's undergone double mastectomy amid cancer concerns
29 May 2025, 07:51
Kara Tointon, best known for her former role on EastEnders, has revealed the difficult decision she had to make after testing positive for the BRCA1 gene.
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EastEnders actress Kara Tointon has shared that she has undergone a double mastectomy and preventative surgery after discovering she carries the BRCA1 gene, which significantly increases the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
Kara, 41, who is best known for playing Dawn Swann in over 300 episodes of the BBC soap until 2009, revealed her decision in a heartfelt video shared on Instagram in partnership with gynaecological cancer charity The Eve Appeal.
Her decision was influenced by the loss of her mother, who died from ovarian cancer in 2018.
The mother-of-two spoke candidly about her choice to undergo the life-changing procedures, which also included the removal of her Fallopian tubes.
“You may have heard of the BRCA genes, type 1 and 2,” she explained: “As a carrier, it means that I am at a greater risk of both breast and ovarian cancer."
Kara continued: "Back in 2018 when my mum was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, I was asked to take a genetics test. There is a history of both cancers in my family but for various reasons, including generational trauma — which I’ll talk more about another time — we hadn’t looked into it until that point.
“It was put to us, we took the test, and it was confirmed that my mum and I both carried the gene.”
At the time, Kara was pregnant with her first child and knew she wanted to have more children, which prompted her to delay any medical intervention while she gathered information and explored her options through NHS consultations.
“Last year, having had my second son in 2021 and deciding that our family was complete, I underwent two preventative surgeries. The first, a double mastectomy, and the second, a two-part protector study, a trial,” she explained.
The study involved removing her Fallopian tubes, based on the growing medical consensus that many ovarian cancers begin in those areas: "They believe that ovarian cancer begins in the Fallopian tubes, so by removing them first, and checking them out, you can remove the ovaries later."
Tointon described the decision as deeply personal and emotionally complex: "It wasn’t an easy decision, but one I am very glad that I made. We are finding out more and more about personal genetics. Most people believe in surveillance, but after doing this for a couple of years —having MRIs, waiting for biopsies — we decided that this was the right decision for me and my family.”
“I can now, with hindsight, talk about it properly,” she added.
Outside of her acting career — which has included roles in The Teacher and Too Good To Be True — Tointon has navigated major life changes in recent years.
She got engaged to her partner, chiropractor Marius Jensen, in 2018, and gave birth to their first son later that year. The couple welcomed a second son in 2021, but announced their separation the following year.
Her decision to go public with her BRCA1 journey has been widely praised, with fans and health advocates applauding her openness and encouraging others to explore their own genetic health history.
