Country star Morgan Wade to undergo double mastectomy due to a breast cancer gene mutation
DAMASCUS, VIRGINIA: Country singer Morgan Wade has unveiled plans to undergo a double mastectomy later this year. The 'Take Me Away' hitmaker, 28, revealed how she was faced with bad news after testing for the RAD51D gene, which is a mutation in one of the breast cancer genes.
While the RAD51D gene typically helps prevent cancers, a mutation in this gene causes it to stop working properly. Those inheriting harmful variants of the genes develop an increased risk of multiple types of cancers, including breast and ovarian, according to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.
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“I had the RAD51D gene, it’s a breast cancer gene so I’m having a double mastectomy in November,” Wade told Page Six at London’s Highways Festival on May 20. “I’m going really hard up until November so then November and December I have off to rest.”
How dangerous is the mutation?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all women have both the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, but some have mutations in those genes that considerably increase their cancer risks. BRCA1 and BRCA2 normally produce proteins that can repair damage to DNA under ideal conditions. However, the cells are more likely to divide quickly and change over time in women who have a mutation on either gene. Around 50 percent of women with one of these mutations are expected to develop breast cancer by the time they are 70, as opposed to only around 7 percent of the population without the mutation.
As mentioned, the condition can also lead to an increased risk of developing ovarian cancer. Around 30 percent of women with one of the mutations are expected to develop that condition by age 70, compared to only about 1 percent of the population without the mutation. Women with the mutation may have to undergo preventative surgeries and take drugs to increase or block estrogen in the body to prevent cancer from developing. And while Wade faces the possibility of major health issues in the future, the 'Wilder Days' hitmaker is already focusing on her recovery.
'I'll be fine'
“I’m feeling fine, I’m just pissed I won’t be able to work out because I really like working out,” Wade told Page Six, noting that she works out 7 days a week. “That’s my only qualm about it.” She continued, “My mom had it, and my little cousin is going to get it, but I’ll be fine,” adding that she got the news last year while performing in Europe. The news came shortly after the star announced that her second studio album 'Psychopath' is set to be released on August 25. Her debut album, 'Reckless', released in 2021, notably topped Rolling Stone’s Best Country Albums of the Year list.
“With ‘Psychopath', we’ve done a really good job of moving on from ‘Reckless', to the next stage without it being so crazy different,” Wade told the outlet. “I’m excited, every song on there has its own sound and is completely different.” The singer-songwriter said the record will feature 13 tracks and paint a picture of her life since the release of 'Reckless', adding, “[The album] goes into where I’m at in life right now. Which is so busy. It’s about growing up and being older, and starting to feel like, ‘Is it time to settle down?’ I think you’ll see a lot of that on the record.”