Hollyoaks and The Bill actress Ali Bastian thanks fans for support after finding breast cancer lump while feeding baby

Soap actress Ali Bastian has thanked fans for their “support” following her announcement that she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer.

The former Hollyoaks and The Bill actress, 42, previously said she is undergoing chemotherapy and is set to have radiotherapy treatment and a mastectomy after finding a lump while breastfeeding her daughter, Isabella.

On Instagram, Bastian wrote: “From the bottom of my heart, thank you for all your kind words this week. It has meant more to me than you could ever know.”

She moved to West Cork, Ireland, this year with her family including actor, writer and director husband David O’Mahony, who she married in 2019, and also shares another daughter, Isla Rose, with.

It was in Ireland that the 2009 Strictly Come Dancing semi-finalist became concerned when her daughter was feeding “like crazy” and she felt her breast hurting.

She told OK! Magazine that at first, it was thought it might be a “blocked duct” but when it did not clear up, her doctor agreed to send her for further help.

Bastian also said there is a “really tough time in which you have the diagnosis but you’re not sure what will happen next”.

The actress, who says the breast cancer is hormone-driven, also said she does not want to “frighten new mums”, but the condition can be “trickier to diagnose” as the tissue “just feels different anyway”.

Breast Cancer Now said it is “important to be aware of any new or unusual changes to your breasts when you’re breastfeeding”, and added that the condition “is uncommon in younger women”.