As part of her treatment plan, she underwent a mastectomy and a lumpectomy on her right breast.As part of her treatment plan, she underwent a mastectomy and a lumpectomy on her right breast.
Singer Shyra Sanchez is sharing the mental and physical struggles of her breast cancer treatment — and how she is bravely overcame her battle in an exclusive interview with Page Six.
The singer, dancer and producer was diagnosed with grade 3 breast cancer in 2020 — at the height of the Covid pandemic.
The singer remembered feeling “shocked” when she first learned of the diagnosis after visiting a plastic surgeon for what she thought was a shifted breast implant.
“I got the news, and it was just like, it was stunning,” she told Page Six. “It can’t be breast cancer because I’m healthy… I don’t feel sick or have any symptoms, you know? And I think every woman, they kind of think, ‘No, it can’t be me.’”
As part of Sanchez’s treatment plan, she underwent a mastectomy and a lumpectomy on her right breast and was prescribed tamoxifen — an oral hormone therapy drug used to treat and prevent hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.
The “Sky is Falling” singer also underwent a partial hysterectomy, leaving her unable to have children.
She shared that while the news was “devastating” to hear, she has learned to direct the love she has to give to her nieces and fans.
Sanchez explained of how she got the courage to beat cancer, “Something clicked in my mind, and I said, you know what? I can’t have this happen. I’m too young to die. I have to have the fight, not fear. And something just clicked.”
Being diagnosed during the pandemic also led to an array of issues. Sanchez had surgery to remove her cancer and recalled how her family and friends were not allowed to go with her.
“You’re by yourself,” the “Operator” singer said, sharing that being alone in this moment had her thinking that she might not make it out of surgery.
“I may not come out, you know, I may, like, die,” she added, saying that the experience was “awakening.”
After the surgery, Sanchez’s doctor informed her that there were still cells present and growing.
She shared that at that point, her medical team decided that radiation was the best option.
“I did radiation for six months, five days a week,” the singer said. “I would just feel just exhausted.”
Sanchez continued, “The first week or two, you’re like, okay, you know, this isn’t too bad. I would probably say the fourth week, that’s when it started to hit me because my skin was starting to peel off. And it was like I was burning.”
The “Dance with Me” singer was declared cancer-free in 2023 and has been ever since.
She was able to stop the long-term medication tamoxifen last year, but still has routine mammograms and sees her doctor every 6 months.
Since being in remission, Sanchez has looked into reconstruction for her right breast that will allow her to fully feel like herself again.
Earlier this week, Sanchez met with celebrity plastic surgeon Dr. Nicholas Nikolov, who said, “Every woman who has undergone a mastectomy deserves the opportunity to explore breast reconstruction.”
Nikolov shared that the goal of the procedure is to “achieve a balanced result while minimizing the extent of surgery and recovery time.”
He also places a large focus on supporting emotional well-being, body confidence and quality of life during recovery.
On Saturday morning, Sanchez attended Dance Your Way to Health — a breast cancer awareness event in Los Angeles created by Lousine Ahjemian, RadNet’s Director of Mammography Training in the West.
Later that day, the singer performed her hit songs “Dance with Me” and “Operator” at The Unstoppable Show presented by Supermodels Unlimited Magazine at Los Angeles Fashion Week.
When asked what she would tell other women battling breast cancer, she said, “Don’t stop fighting. If you get diagnosed, get a good, strong base that’s gonna be supportive of you and love you.
“Start loving you more because your mindset is what’s gonna get you through everything.”
