Dec 10, 2008 10:01 am US/Eastern
Toni Braxton Says She Had Benign Tumor Removed
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
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Musician Toni Braxton performs onstage during the American Idol Season 5 Finale on May 24, 2006 at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.
Vince Bucci/Getty Images
Toni Braxton had a good reason for not dancing on the finale of "Dancing With the Stars" last month: The 41-year-old singer says she had a benign tumor removed from her breast the week before.
Braxton says she knew about the tumor before she appeared on the ABC show. She scheduled the surgery after being eliminated from the competition on Oct. 20.
She tells Us Weekly magazine in its issue out Friday: "Getting the boot on the show was actually a blessing in disguise for me. My grandmother on my dad's side died of breast cancer, and I have aunts on both sides that have breast cancer."
Though Braxton is still recovering, she is scheduled to appear on the "Dancing With the Stars" tour, which begins Dec. 17 in San Diego.
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