Annabel Chown, a 54-year-old qualified yoga teacher, has shared her personal battle with breast cancer, recounting the moment she first realised she might have the disease. In an article published in The Times, Chown revealed that her journey began at the age of 31, during a night out in Fitzrovia, London. While getting undressed after attending a party, she discovered a lump on her breast.
Chown recalled this pivotal moment, stating, “I’d found a lump in the early hours of a Sunday morning while getting undressed after a party at a bar in Fitzrovia. A couple of the gold sequins on the neckline of my low-cut top were loose. When I touched them, I also felt an area of skin as hard as ice, a few centimetres above my left nipple.” Alarmed by the discovery, she promptly scheduled a GP appointment, which led to a referral to a consultant oncologist. A subsequent needle biopsy confirmed the presence of cancerous cells in her breast, necessitating a lumpectomy, a surgical procedure aimed at removing the tumour.
Chown's battle with cancer did not end there, as she later learned she was a carrier of the BRCA mutation, a hereditary genetic change associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Similar to her father, she opted for a preventative double mastectomy, which she underwent in 2016. Following the birth of her son, she also chose to have her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed to mitigate the risk of leaving her child without a mother.
Her story emerges at a time of heightened concern regarding breast cancer prevalence, as the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a stark warning about a potential surge in cancer-related deaths worldwide. In findings published in the Nature Medicine journal, the WHO forecasts a possible 21 percent increase in breast cancer cases and a 42 percent increase in deaths in the UK.
Dr Isabelle Soerjomataram, deputy head of the cancer surveillance branch at the International Agency for Research on Cancer, stated, “Continued progress in early diagnosis and improved access to treatment are essential to address the global gap in breast cancer and ensure that the goal of reducing suffering and death from breast cancer is achieved by all countries worldwide.”
Breast cancer remains one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in the UK, with the NHS highlighting several symptoms to be aware of, including a lump or swelling in the breast, changes in the appearance or shape of the nipple, persistent pain in the breast or armpit, and alterations in the skin of the breast such as dimpling. The NHS emphasises the importance of regular breast checks to familiarise oneself with what is normal, aiding in the identification of any unusual changes.
Source: Noah Wire Services