Dawn French has revealed that a cancer scare and subsequent hysterectomy contributed to her dramatic weight loss three years ago. Speaking at her new one-woman show 30 Million Minutes in Sheffield on Thursday night, the comedienne said she had to lose weight in order to have keyhole surgery Her doctor was of the opinion that Saunders and French star Dawn had uterine cancer. The results of a first biopsy came back clear but a second one was ordered which led Dawn to decide on surgery to remove her womb. “I became quite ill about three years ago, with all kinds of hell ​kicking off in here, where I keep my lady plumbing. “Anyway, I eventually went to hospital, and my doc was so convinced I had uterine cancer, that he ordered a second biopsy to be sure, when the first one was clear.  Even before the result of the second one, I decided to be done with my old enemy, my defunct reproductive stuff.  It was curtailing my life. “So my womb and I parted company. Goodbye. When I was due to have my hysterectomy the doc told me that if I could lose some weight before the op, they would be able to do it via ‘key-hole’, and I would recover in three weeks or so. “Otherwise it would be big open surgery, and three months to recover.  So, I set about dropping a few stone. No magic wand, just tiny, joyless low-cal eating and lots more walking for weeks and weeks. It was grim. I lost seven and a half stone.  I could have the keyhole surgery.  Great.  That’s all it was, practical". A hysterectomy (removal of the womb) is a procedure associated with conditions that affect the female reproductive system including ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer.