Osbourne: I had double mastectomy - NEWS.com.au

Brave decision: Sharon Osborne had both her breasts removed to avoid a second bout of cancer. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

SHARON Osbourne has revealed that she had a double mastectomy as a precautionary measure.

The 60-year-old television personality battled colon cancer 10 years ago but when she found out that she had a gene which put her at a higher risk for developing breast cancer she took immediate action.

Sharon opened up to Hello! magazine about her brave decision.

"As soon as I found out I had the breast cancer gene, I thought, 'The odds are not in my favor'," she told the publication.

"I've had cancer before and I didn't want to live under that cloud. I decided to just take everything off, and had a double mastectomy."

Sharon, who is mother to Jack and Kelly Osbourne and welcomed her first grandchild earlier this year, added that it was not a difficult decision to undergo the procedure.

"For me, it wasn't a big decision, it was a no-brainer," she said candidly. "I didn't want to live the rest of my life with that shadow hanging over me. I want to be around for a long time and be a grandmother to Pearl.

"I didn't even think of my breasts in a nostalgic way, I just wanted to be able to live my life without that fear all the time."