In an open letter penned to her fans and supporters this week, hip-hop legend Roxanne Shante reveals her personal fight with breast cancer.

The 40-year-old first noticed a lump in her breast earlier this year, but did nothing about it for months.

“In March, I noticed a lump in my left breast, rather small at the time and didn’t really know what I was feeling. So instead of going straight to the doctor’s office, I started asking friends their opinion and trying to go by their experiences. It was such a stupid move. Well, I figured I was just getting older. A hysterectomy in my early thirties led me to believe that I would be fine. Another stupid move.”

Shante reveals in an interview with AOL’s Black Voices Blog:

“So on a bright, sunny day in August 2009, I walked into Doshi center for a mammogram. I put on the gown and stepped up to the machine. As soon as the technician took my breast in her hand, she asked me how long had I had the lump. It’s huge, she said. I made a joke, she giggled, but I was scared and angry that I had waited so long.”

The ’80s rapper came under fire earlier this year after she lied about having her former record label, Warner Music, pay for her Ivy League education.