BARBRA STREISAND faces a horrifying new cancer nightmare – and it’s tearing her family apart!
The 73-year-old superstar has undergone regular cancer screenings since surgeons removed part of her colon during secret surgery in 2004.
Now, according to sources, doctors are recommending a hysterectomy, but a terrified Barbra has put off the operation.
“Barbra is scared to death of going under the knife again for a hysterectomy,” revealed a source.
“The very thought of it riddles her with anxiety and fear!”
As The National ENQUIRER reported in 2004, Barbra had part of her colon removed after a routine screening revealed the presence of polyps.
Three years after the surgery, Barbra still lived in fear of the disease, and our sources said she was haunted by a new health crisis.
Barbra, then 65, was heavily stressed and exhausted, and suffering the physical consequences of menopausal symptoms, sources said.
“Barbra has hot flashes and night sweats, body aches and mood swings that make her incredibly irritable and on edge,” an insider said at the time.
After menopause, women face risks of breast and uterine cancer, as well as cancer of the endometrium and cervix, as The ENQUIRER has reported.
About 10 percent of hysterectomies are performed for cancer, and the rest are done for benign conditions.
An insider added: “Barbra is deathly afraid of surgery and often harps on how much she hates the thought of being unconscious while surgeons root around inside her body.”
The “Funny Girl” star is not alone in her fear.
On a support website for women considering a hysterectomy, one person wrote: “Even if you rationally and logically understand that a hysterectomy is an operation with an extremely low mortality rate, it is still natural to fear that you might be among that unlucky, tiny fraction-of-a-percent who do not survive the surgery.”
Barbra’s husband, actor James Brolin, has urged her to do everything she can to prevent cancer – and she’s heeded his advice, insiders added.
As we reported in 2011, while the Oscar winner gets checkups and followed doctors’ orders to change her lifestyle, sometimes she overdoes it.
Barbra has no family history of colon cancer, yet she insists on having a colonoscopy every two years, the insider revealed.
“It seems to be the only thing that gives Barbra peace of mind,” said the source.
“When she goes more than three months without having a checkup, and feels the slightest pinch of pain, she begins to imagine the worst.”
Barbra’s fears have threatened to throw a dark shadow over her golden years, sources said.
“Barbra believes she’s in a battle for her life, but it’s heartbreaking to see a woman who was given a second chance waste it with worry,” said a family friend.
“All this obsessive drama is unnecessary, and now her close friends and family are worrying about her.”
Added the source: “Her health concerns might be alleviated by having a hysterectomy, but she won’t – and it’s creating havoc in her home life!”
