‘Because of my age, breast cancer wasn’t something I was really thinking of’

“In March 2017, I was eating well and doing lots of training, so was physically in the best shape I’ve been in for a long time,” says Emma Cassidy from Dublin, who was 30 years old at the time. “I started to feel very tired, even though I was sleeping well, and initially put it down to being busy with work. About a month later, I went to my GP who did some blood tests and the only thing that came out of that was that my B12 levels were a bit low, so I started getting injections of B12 every few weeks, but it didn’t really make any difference.

“He did a few tests like checking my thyroid and then asked if I checked my breasts regularly and I said that I didn’t really as, because of my age, it wasn’t something I was really thinking of. So he suggested that I went to the breast clinic, really just as a means of eliminating that worry – and from that moment on, things began to move really quickly.”

Accompanied by her mother, the now 35-year-old went for an appointment at the breast clinic a couple of weeks later and, after being examined, was told that a lump was found. Although she was reassured that it may “just be fibrous tissue”, she was sent for an ultrasound and then a mammogram. Both scans showed “something suspicious”, so she was referred for a biopsy.

These tests revealed the shocking news that she had triple negative breast cancer and would need to undergo a double mastectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

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“I had a biopsy done on the main lump and then there were areas of calcification which were biopsied and a swelling in the lymph node under my arm,” she says. “We were there from 8am until about 6pm so it was a really long day and things really began to play in my mind. I was told that I would probably hear back in about a week and tried not think the worst, but it was really difficult.

“When I went in for the results with my mother by my side, I kind of sensed that it was bad news – I was trying to concentrate on what the professor was saying but my mind was racing a million miles a second and my heart was in my mouth.

“My mom asked if I had cancer and when we heard the words, it felt like it was happening to someone else. My main concern was for her as it must be worse for parents if their child is ill – but I knew that my life was going to change massively.

“Things moved quite quickly after that and (when the decision was made that a double mastectomy was the way forward) it was quite daunting, but at the same time, it was kind of a relief that the cancer was going to be removed and, in fact, I didn’t find the surgery to be the most traumatic part of the journey.”

Emma, who is engaged to Keith, recovered well from the operation and went on to have chemotherapy at the end of 2017. Although it made her feel very ill after some sessions and caused her to lose all of her hair, she got through it and then began radiotherapy in January2018.

She waited until July of that same year to have reconstructive surgery, and after returning to work as a secondary school teacher, she also took on some charity work for Breast Cancer Ireland as she wanted to help other women who are going through a similar experience.

“I wanted to do anything I could to encourage women of all ages to check themselves and be breast aware, because I obviously wasn’t and was really lucky that my GP was so incredible and really pushed for me to have tests done,” she says.

“As a teacher in a girls’ school, I feel a responsibility to help these young women to be more aware of their own health and to know what is normal for their bodies – in an informative rather than frightening way.”

Throughout her cancer journey, Emma, who has a 17-month-old son, Sam, also discovered that she is a carrier of the faulty BRCA1 gene and, some time in the future, will have to undergo surgery to remove her ovaries. So when she and her partner got together, they were not sure if having children would be possible.

“You don’t know what impact things (such as cancer treatment) can have on you and we accepted that we would have a nice life together and that I was so incredibly blessed that my cancer diagnosis was so positive,” she says. “But we decided to have some fertility tests done, then because of the Covid lockdown, we had to reschedule them – but before we had the chance to get them done, I discovered that I was pregnant, which was absolutely incredible.

“I was worried that it might trigger something which would make me unwell again, but I was told that everything was looking good, so we just enjoyed the pregnancy and then Sam was born in December 2020 and he is just the highlight of our lives and the light at the end of the tunnel.”

Emma’s story has a happy ending, but her experience has shown her of the great need for breast cancer facilities, and she says that the new Breast Centre clinic on the grounds of Dublin’s Beaumont Hospital is very welcome.

“When I saw it a few weeks ago, it took my breath away, as it will make such a difference to people being diagnosed with breast cancer,” she says about the clinic which will officially open on June 3rd. “When I think back to myself in that post-mastectomy time – as, while the care was brilliant, the nurse just had a trolley in a random room with a few bits and pieces on it. In comparison, the room at Beaumont for post-mastectomy prosthetic fittings was like a beautiful dressing room. It’s just the sort of environment you need to be in after such a traumatic experience.

“I will have to have my ovaries and tubes removed to reduce my ovarian cancer risk, but for the moment I’m just trying to focus on my life and enjoy my beautiful baby, my fiancé, family and my friends. I can’t believe that I am five years [post diagnosis] and hopefully I will continue to stay well.

“But if I could advise anyone else just starting on this journey, I would say to be open with friends and family from the start so there is no awkwardness with people being afraid of upsetting or offending you, and don’t be afraid to ask for help as people are always willing to help out – you don’t need to keep the show going by yourself. And it is also important take each day at a time as looking at the bigger picture can be very overwhelming.

“I have made some amazing friends through Breast Cancer Ireland who have been through the same thing as me, and I think having a community around you, who have had similar experiences is very valuable and makes you feel less alone. I am so grateful to everyone and for every single day that I get to live the life that I have.”

Breast Cancer treatment in Ireland

– 1 in 9 women and 1 in 1,000 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. – There are 3,800 new cases of breast cancer annually in Ireland. – 23 per cent of cases diagnosed annually are women aged 20-50 years – under the age limit to avail of free government screening programme BreastCheck. – Survival rates are improving year on year from 73 per cent 10 years ago to 85 per cent currently. – There is a 2 per cent reduction in mortality rates yearly. – With new sophisticated blood tests, patients are now being offered their own personalised and tailored treatment plans - no longer a “one treatment fits all” approach.