In Emmerdale from July 15th to 19th, Chas Dingle provides an update on her cancer treatment and discusses her future options. Earlier this year, Chas was diagnosed with the same type of breast cancer that her mother Faith succumbed to. To prevent recurrence, she chose to undergo a double mastectomy. Although this storyline had taken a backseat, viewers received an update on her condition in Thursday’s episode.
The Dingle family was in a state of panic over Samson’s disappearance, unaware that he had been confronted by Moira and McKenzie to get him to confess to the stabbing incident involving Matty. While the family anxiously awaited news about Samson, Chas informed Gail and Ryan about her hospital appointment. When Gail inquired if the cancer had returned, Chas clarified that it was just a routine check-up to ensure everything was fine.
Chas revealed that her doctors had been encouraging her to undergo precautionary chemotherapy, but she decided against it. She explained that the tumor was small and caught early, and for her, the side effects of chemotherapy outweighed the benefits. Gail and Ryan were puzzled by her decision, questioning why she wouldn’t proceed with the treatment just to be safe. Chas clarified that the risk from cancer differs from the risk associated with the faulty gene, making the situation more complicated. She reassured them that she could always contact her breast nurse if she had any concerns and that regular check-ups would ensure everything remained under control.
The scene then shifted to Marlon’s falling out with his best mate Paddy, with Chas encouraging Gail to help resolve the issue, given that she had enough on her plate with her own health concerns. Emmerdale producers have collaborated with Breast Cancer Now to raise awareness about breast cancer through Chas’s storyline. Cast member Lucy Pargeter, who portrays Chas, expressed her commitment to portraying the diagnosis authentically, drawing from her own experience with her mother’s battle with incurable breast cancer. This makes Chas’s diagnosis particularly poignant, given how well the audience knows her character’s relationships, flaws, passions, insecurities, quirks, and fears.
