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Australian actress and comedian Magda Szubanski has been diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer.<\/p>\n
Szubanski is best known for her iconic role as Sharon Strzelecki in the Australian sitcom Kath & Kim, and for her film roles in Babe and Happy Feet.<\/p>\n
In a video posted to social media, the 64-year-old said she had begun treatment to fight stage four Mantle Cell Lymphoma, a “fast-moving” form of blood cancer.<\/p>\n
Calling the news “confronting”, Szubanski said she was receiving “world-class care” in Melbourne.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
“I won’t sugar-coat it: it’s rough. But I’m hopeful,” she said.<\/p>\n
“I’m being lovingly cared for by friends and family, my medical team is brilliant, and I’ve never felt more held by the people around me.”<\/p>\n
The actress said she was undergoing Nordic protocol treatment, a regimen which combines chemotherapy and immunotherapy to treat Mantle Cell Lymphoma.<\/p>\n
The cancer was only discovered incidentally after she requested blood tests after feeling unwell for “ages”.<\/p>\n
“So the take away is – get tested and listen to your body!” she said.<\/p>\n
Szubanksi rose to fame playing the netball-loving Strzelecki in the early 2000s, and has been a stalwart of the comedy scene in Australia since.<\/p>\n
She was also a prominent advocate for the legalisation of same-sex marriage in Australia.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n