The Real Housewives of Atlanta star Monyetta Shaw-Carte has revealed that she has secretly battled breast cancer – undergoing surgery and radiotherapy earlier this year
Real Housewives of Atlanta star Monyetta Shaw-Carte has revealed she is battling cancer. The 45-year-old reality star has appeared on the Atlanta version of the hugely successful franchise since 2022.
She appears on the series alongside the main Housewives Atlanta stars including Shereé Whitfield, Kenya Moore and Shamea Morton Mwangi. Monyetta has revealed that she has been battling a health condition in secret.
She has revealed that she was diagnosed with stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma in November 2024, but had also had concerns about breast cancer a decade before. She has shared details of her health fight while also raising awareness of the importance of self-checking.
Monyetta told People magazine: “I had a biopsy about 10 years ago and it came back benign Then last year in September I was doing a self-check because I felt this random sensation that I can’t really describe in my left boob.
“It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It was literally like my body was alerting me that something was wrong.” The following month, the TV star was attending a routine mammogram when a lump was discovered.
She underwent surgery to remove the growth in January this year and then underwent a gruelling 16 rounds of radiation treatment. The medical steps have, however, proved to be successful, and she was able to ring the bell at her treatment at the beginning of last month, marking the end of her treatment.
She said: “Because I caught the cancer early, I will be here for my kids. There’s nothing more important than getting checked often and early to protect your future.” She added: “Our health is irreplaceable. I can’t thank my exceptional doctors and nurses enough. They are our heroes.”
Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in the UK, with Cancer Research UK noting that 56,800 new breast cancer cases are recorded in the UK each year. The disease is highly treatable, especially when detected early.
While the cause of breast cancer is still not fully understood, it is more common in women over the age of 50, can affect those who have a history of the disease in the family, and can affect those who have an existing condition such as benign breast disease, ductal carcinoma in situ or lobular carcinoma in situ.
Doctors and scientists have also tracked that those who carry the BRCA1 gene are more susceptible to breast cancer. It is possible to be tested for the gene, and preemptive surgery can be undertaken.
American actress Dame Angelina Jolie underwent a double mastectomy in February 2013 after learning she carried the gene. She revealed she had undergone the procedure to help raise awareness of breast cancer and the available treatments.
She said at the time: “I choose not to keep my story private because there are many women who do not know that they might be living under the shadow of cancer.
“It is my hope that they, too, will be able to get gene tested, and that if they have a high risk they, too, will know that they have strong options.” Angelina lost her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, in 2007 as she died at the age of 56 after battling ovarian and breast cancer.
If you have been affected by this story, advice and support can be found at Breast Cancer Support.
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