Cape Town – Former 7de Laan actress Carina Nel has revealed that she is undergoing treatment for breast cancer after a routine mammogram led to the discovery of a tumour.
The 38-year-old actress, who played Dr Alexa Welman in the SABC 2 soapie, shared the news with her followers on Instagram this week.
Nel said her world changed on 16 April when a mammogram and scan led to an immediate biopsy of a tumour and lymph gland in her left breast.
Five days later, she received the diagnosis.
“On April 21st I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer,” she wrote.
“Cancer. It still feels weird saying this. As if I am looking into someone else’s life. Never would I have imagined that this would be part of my path.”
Nel said she began chemotherapy on 5 May and was still undergoing treatment when she shared her update.
She described the months since her diagnosis as difficult, with more treatment, surgeries, scans and possible radiation still ahead.
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“The road is long and difficult,” she said.
“There are still many challenges ahead of me, months of treatment already finished and still ahead of me, several surgeries, more scans, more doctors, possible radiation, years of hormone treatment, side effects etc.”
Despite the uncertainty, Nel said she was trying to remain strong and positive while coming to terms with how much her life had changed.
“My life will never be the same again, and I’m still trying to make peace with it,” she wrote.
“My heart is aching. But in this I get to know a new version of myself.”
The actress also spoke about the impact of her diagnosis on her family and the people supporting her through treatment.
She said her loved ones had stood by her during some of her most difficult days, providing emotional and practical support.
“It’s not just me fighting. My family and family fight with me,” she said.
“People don’t always know how much cancer affects the people who love you too.”
Nel, who is a mother of two, also credited her faith for helping her through moments of fear.
She said prayer had brought her a sense of peace and that she had been overwhelmed by the support from friends, family and others who had reached out.
“I can literally feel how I am being prayed for,” she wrote.
“In one of my darkest times, I feel like the luckiest person to be loved so much.”
Nel became a familiar face to South African television viewers through 7de Laan, which ended in December 2023 after 23 years on air. She played Alexa Welman, a medical doctor and one of the show’s long-running characters.
Her latest update has prompted an outpouring of messages from former colleagues, friends and fans, who have offered their support as she continues treatment.
For Nel, however, the focus remains on getting through the road ahead.
“There is still so much that I would like to share with everyone!” she wrote.
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Picture: Instagram/ Carina Nel
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
