The Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Monyetta Shaw-Carter is one of the latest celebrities to reveal she had breast cancer. The 45-year-old reality television personality shared that she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024.
“I had a biopsy about 10 years ago and it came back benign,” she said to PEOPLE during an interview. “Then last year in September I was doing a self-check because I felt this random sensation that I can’t really describe in my left boob. It was like nothing I’ve ever felt before. It was literally like my body was alerting me that something was wrong.”
A month later, the former radio host underwent her routine mammogram, during which medical professionals identified a lump. In November, Carter-Shaw was diagnosed with “slow-growing” stage 1 invasive ductal carcinoma.
“It was obviously one of the hardest and scariest moments of my life,” the TV personality said, referring to getting the phone call from her doctor with the diagnosis.
“Everything around me stopped. My heart dropped. I was afraid. I was angry. I was just numb,” she adds.
Monyetta’s treatment included a lumpectomy in January and 16 rounds of radiation. A lumpectomy is a procedure that involves removing a breast tumor and minimal amounts of surrounding tissue while preserving as much of the breast tissue as possible. Carter-Shaw decided to opt for this treatment after doing some research.
“While doing all of the biopsies and MRIs, I was first considering having a double mastectomy. But after my genetic testing came back favorable, and after sitting in my reality for some time, I decided on the lumpectomy,” she said.
On May 2, the mother of three was able to ring the bell to mark the end of her treatment. She also recently marked her 45th birthday with a pink-themed party to celebrate her being cancer-free. The entrepreneur has received massive support from her husband Heath Carter, fellow RHOA castmates, and her ex-husband and father of her twins, NE-YO. She was adamant about telling her story to spread awareness about the disease and remind people to listen to their bodies.
“It’s so important for me to share this story because I hope to inspire others not to dismiss their gut feeling,” Shaw-Carter said. “Our body speaks to us and when it does we have to listen. It can be a matter of life or death.”