Telly star Kirsty Gallacher has shared an update after undergoing radiotherapy for an inoperable tumour located inside the inner canal of her right ear
Kirsty Gallagher has shared an update on her brain tumour. Last year, the presenter, 50, had radiotherapy to attempt to shrink the inoperable tumour in the inner canal of her right ear.
The former Sky Sports presenter was diagnosed with a benign acoustic neuroma during the summer of 2021 and has since undergone radiotherapy.
But earlier today, during an appearance on the Vanessa show, Kirsty told Vanessa Feltz that she is scheduled to undergo an MRI to determine whether the radiotherapy was successful. “I found out I had basically a brain tumour, an acoustic neuroma in my right ear,” she told the presenter, adding: “I went deaf a few years ago, and I had radiotherapy last year, so I’ve got my MRI coming up soon where we’ll know whether it’s worked.
“The success rate’s very good, it’s not going to get rid of it. It’s whether it shrinks it and sort of kills the DNA that keeps making it grow, really. It’s hard, I’m very hard of hearing now in my right ear, and the tinnitus is far worse than it was sadly when I was here a year ago.”
Since publicly sharing her diagnosis, Kirsty has openly discussed her continued battle with tinnitus and hearing loss, which has been brought on by her tumour. She previously stated it would be “very dangerous” to undergo surgery to remove the benign tumour.
“A couple of years ago, I literally woke up and I couldn’t really hear out of my right ear and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s a bit odd’,” she said on Loose Women. She went on to say: “I’d been flying the week before and thought it’s not popped, and went to the doctor and it was a medical emergency because obviously, it could be a brain tumour.
“So, they were brilliant, they sent me straight to see a consultant. It took a while for them to work out what was going on because it was after Covid, but it is called an acoustic neuroma, which is a benign tumour that happens to many people. Don’t know why.”
Since her diagnosis, Kirsty has faced challenges with noise, and the medical staff have since suggested a hearing aid – but she has declined. She said: “They have suggested a hearing aid. I’m not there yet, I don’t think. I’m managing it fine.
“I do find it upsetting and I sympathise… it’s management and sometimes if I’m in an acoustically difficult environment, say I was out for dinner last night, noisy environment, I have to leave sometimes. I get really upset.
“I can’t cope with it because I can’t hear anyone… I now look at people’s lips because my hearing loss is pretty bad in my right ear.” Last year, Kirsty became visibly emotional as she read a statement after being slapped with a six-month driving ban following a speeding offence.
Through tears, she said: “I have a brain tumour – an acoustic neuroma – it is benign, but it’s growing very fast. They have monitored it for the last three years. I am now doing radiotherapy. We don’t know if the radiotherapy is going to work, if it will shrink [the tumour] or not. It’s a bit of a ‘suck it and see’ situation. I have lots of appointments.
“I took a week off to undergo my first session last week. I have to go for regular appointments with a view to more radiotherapy or possibly an operation. I’m an ordinary mum with plates spinning. With my health, it’s going to be very difficult.”
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