Michelle’s Story

Michelle was leading a busy life, and getting her breasts checked was not high on her priority list. On a whim, she mentioned to her GP that she had felt a small lump in her breast.

After tests, Michelle received the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer.

Michelle was only 41 years old.

“It was not just the pea shaped lump that concerned doctors, but a total of ten tumours that were detected across both breasts. I remember the doctor saying it looked like wildfire across my chest,” Michelle recalls.

Michelle endured a bilateral mastectomy, intensive chemotherapy and radiation.

Now, a year after her diagnosis, Michelle has finished her active treatment however remains on hormone therapy. She remains optimistic about her future.

Professor Chris Pyke, Acting Chief Medical Officer at Mater and breast surgeon says, “with the widespread use of breast screening, there are many more cases being detected at an earlier stage today in comparison to 20 years ago.

Research into early detection, recurrence and new drugs in treatment will make a big difference in the future and is an important area of focus for Mater researchers and clinicians,” he says.

Michelle is now passionate about raising awareness—about the importance of early detection.

“I don’t live in ‘what if’s’, but who knows what my journey would have been like if I had got checked 12 months earlier,” says Michelle.

When you buy a Mater Cars for Cancer ticket, you are helping fund world-class cancer research at Mater helping people like Michelle. Thank you.

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