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Beverley Callard has shared a significant update with fans regarding her cancer battle. The actress revealed that although surgeons had removed her cancer during an operation, it had spread to a lymph node. She had announced in February this year that she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Speaking on Instagram, Beverley explained that her consultant had been in touch to confirm the surgery "went really well," and that they had managed to "cut the cancer out". She added: "They're pleased with how the surgery went. And they also have two or three lymph nodes. And this is how she explained it to me. The lymph nodes are like a staircase. And if cancer is in the lymph nodes, it sort of tends to climb up the stairs.

"That's oversimplifying it, but just to help explain. And they took three, and the cancer is in the first lymph node. It's not in the second two and three. So it is there, but it's only small."

She went on to say: "So what happens now is they send that to America. I've no idea why they send it to America, but they do, apparently, that's normal. They send it to America to see how aggressive the cancer is. And then I will know about that in approximately two weeks. So it's waiting again, but never mind. That's just the way it is. If it's aggressive, then I'll have to undergo chemo first and then after that, radiotherapy.

"If it's not aggressive, I will have the radiotherapy as was planned. So I've just got to wait and see again. So in one way it was kind of good news that the surgeries worked well which I'm really pleased about but because it's in the lymph nodes it's still a worry and still a waiting time which is an absolute pain but there we go and I'm sure loads of you have been through the same thing so that's the state of play and thank you for caring I really appreciate that very much indeed and what you say to me and the comments you make."

The actress, 69, best known for her role as Rovers Return landlady Liz McDonald on Coronation Street, recently made the move to Ireland with her husband Jon McEwan to appear in the BBC soap Fair City.

However, just before filming her first scenes, the star, who can currently be seen competing on the pre-recorded I'm A Celebrity...South Africa series, received a call confirming she had been diagnosed with the early stages of breast cancer and underwent her first bout of surgery in early March.

Beverley has been keeping her followers fully informed throughout her entire journey ever since she went public with her diagnosis in February. Earlier this week, she opened with a sigh, saying: "Oh well, I've been painting all day again and I've nearly finished it, which is amazing.

"God, I've put some hours in that room, but I really want it finished for when Jon gets back. As you know, I'm waiting for my results, which has made me paint for England, well, for Ireland!

"But I'm fine, I'm absolutely fine. My head was a bit mashed for the first few days. It's very early stages, and I'm along with thousands of other women as well."

"I don't know but I will know more on Thursday at 12 o'clock so I will be glad when Jon is home. I wasn't going to tell him but [my daughter] Rebecca said to tell him, so I have just told him. There we are. I just wondered if this has happened to anyone else. Lots of love everyone - I'm being strong."

Alongside the post, she wrote in the caption: "Had a bit of a weird update and not sure how to feel about it...trying to be brave and strong." Beverley first disclosed her diagnosis in February during an appearance on RTE's Late Late Show. She said: "I've had some tests just before I left the UK, and literally, 15, 20 minutes before I was in my dressing room at Fair City, getting ready to go on, and I was quite nervous and thinking, 'I hope everybody thinks I'm all right', whatever.