Floor Jansen , vocalist of Nightwish , revealed this Wednesday, the 26th, that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.
The news was shared in an open letter published on social media, in which Floor recounted that she received the diagnosis two weeks ago during a routine mammogram.
“The word 'cancer' is shocking. Everything you considered important in life before that diagnosis changes radically within minutes. Now I just want to be healthy again. I want to see my daughter grow up and become a woman, I want to live! And the scariest part of the diagnosis is that I thought I was healthy! I didn't feel the cancer, I didn't know it was there until I, as a woman over 40, had a routine check-up,” she said.
At 41 years old, the singer will undergo surgery to remove the tumor this Thursday, October 27th, and has expressed confidence in a positive prognosis. So far, Nightwish's European tour, scheduled to begin on November 20th, remains unchanged, as the goal is to proceed with the program as planned.
"It appears to be a non-aggressive cancer that doesn't seem to have spread. I will keep my breast and be cancer-free after this surgery and local radiation treatment, which will hopefully take place three months after the surgery. We will know more after the surgery to see if the positive prognosis holds," she wrote.
Finally, Floor Jansen encouraged routine mammogram screenings, as early diagnosis is an important ally for the effective treatment of the disease. "If I inspire you to take good care of yourselves, then something good will have come from this cancer diagnosis," she said.
In Brazil, the month of October marks the Pink October campaign to raise awareness about the importance of prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer and, more recently, cervical cancer.
Earlier this month, Floor Jansen was in Brazil for Nightwish's tour of the country, which included stops in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. See photos from the show at Espaço Unimed here .
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