Strictly Come Dancing's Anastacia lays bare mastectomy scars in naked shoot

Cancer survivor Anastacia has posed nude for the first time since undergoing a double mastectomy in what she describes as an effort to 'reclaim the femininity' that the disease stole from her. The US singer- who recently partnered with Cancer Research UK to raise awareness- shows off her curves in the latest issue of Fault magazine.

The black-and-white cover shoot shows the 47-year-old on her knees as she uses one hand to cover her chest and the other to cover part of her face.

She explained her scars should have been on her braline but doctors had to take unusual route because of her tattoos: " To graft skin the surgeons needed to find a place that wasn't compromised. I wasn't expecting it to be as long but it was the only way," she said.

Although she was initially apprehensive about the bold move, she said she "extremely empowered" by choosing to embrace her scars so publicaly. She said that her decision to strip off was spurred by her desire to reclaim part of herself.

"Every little thing that I'm doing, including Strictly Come Dancing was me trying to reclaim a little piece of my femininity that cancer stole from me. When you have as many surgeries as I've had, you lose so many female sensations that you'll never get back. Nipple sensation is something that cancer robbed from my anatomy and I'm used to it now but there is that little part of me that will always be lost. Doing strictly and doing this shoot I feel like I'm finally becoming the woman that I was again.'

As a survivor she knows the importance of mammograms and young women who are worried or notice any chances to seek medical advice. "If you're a young woman in your mid-twenties, then just get it done and you can have peace of mind until you're thirty years old. In your thirties go every two or three years depending on your doctor's advice and then after thirty-five, it's safest to go each year. Find it early and you're done and it's so much easier."

The I'm Outta Love hitmaker first battled the disease in 2003, when she was treated with surgery and radiotherapy. A decade later she was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time and was s forced to cancel her European tour.

At the time she revealed that she chose to have the procedure to increase her chances of a full recovery. "Early detection has saved my life twice. I will continue to battle and lend my voice in any way I can," she said in a message to fans.