My Story
On 23 November 2022 I was diagnosed with very early stage breast cancer called Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS). Fortunately it was caught at a very early stage, was non-invasive, and was very treatable. On the 5 January 2023 I underwent a double-mastectomy as treatment, this is quite a drastic reaction to DCIS, but there were other factors. Back in 2018 I tested positive for an alteration of the BRCA2 gene, which helps to fight mutated/cancerous cells across the body. What this means is that my chances of having cancer in my lifetime was extremely high. This alteration has ran through my father’s side of the family, with my dad, my aunt, my grandmother, great aunt and great grandmother all either testing positive for the same alteration or experiencing breast cancer in their lifetime. I also had a bilateral salpingectomy (removal of fallopians tubes) last year to help prevent and reduce any risk of ovarian cancer. Since then I have opted for surveillance, having MRI’s every year to keep an eye on everything. It was because of this surveillance that my variation of breast cancer was caught so early, and thus making it treatable. The research conducted around early detection and genetic histology/genealogy is so important and I want to do my part to give something back and to help others in the future. Incredible strides have been made in the fight against cancer in the last couple of decades, and increased funding will help to ensure that we can tackle cancer on the front foot. Let’s kick cancers butt!
