SABINA HIGGINS has confirmed she is receiving treatment for breast cancer.
In a statement Áras an Uachtaráin said that Mrs Higgins, wife of the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins, underwent a “successful procedure as part of ongoing treatment which she is receiving for breast cancer”.
In a statement, Mrs Higgins said: “I would like to express my sincere thanks to the doctors and medical staff who are providing me with such expert care in my treatment.”
Sabina Higgins pictured with husband, President of Ireland, Michael D HigginsShe added: “I would like to take the opportunity of my diagnosis to call on all women to be aware of the symptoms of breast cancer and to seek checks as regularly as they can."
Mrs Higgins, who was born in Cloonrane on the Galway-Mayo border and went to school in Ballindine and Claremorris, Co. Mayo, is 82-years-old.
She has urged women over 70 to check for symptoms of breast cancer, as the risk of being diagnosed with the condition increases with age.
“It may come as a surprise to many people to learn that the risk of breast cancer increases with age and that 36% of women diagnosed with breast cancer in Ireland are over the age of 70," she said.
“While BreastCheck screening runs for women up to the age of 69, I would urge all women over the age of 70 of the vital importance of continuing to look for any potential symptoms of breast cancer on a regular basis and to seek medical checks whenever possible," she added.
