Strictly dancer Amy Dowden reveals heartbreaking second cancer diagnosis
Amy Dowden has revealed a second type of cancer has been found elsewhere in her body after she was diagnosed with grade three breast cancer earlier this year.
The Strictly Come Dancing professional dancer, who joined the long-running BBC competition series in 2017, announced her diagnosis in May after finding a lump in her breast the previous month.
The Welsh star, 32, said she made the discovering the day before travelling to the Maldives on her delayed honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.
After realising that the lump had grown following her honeymoon, she went to the GP and was then sent for an emergency referral.
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There are three breast cancer grades, with the third grade being the most aggressive and according to Cancer Research UK, these cancer cells tend to grow and spread more quickly and have a worse prognosis.
On Friday (21 July), Amy took part in an Instagram Live chat with breast cancer survivor and Paralympic gold medalist Erin Kennedy for the cancer charity CoppaFeel! where she shared a health update with fans.
The professional dancer said doctors had discovered more tumours when she went for an MRI scan and they found another type of cancer, which now means she will have to undergo chemotherapy.
“For me, me, my journey, everything changed. I was originally going to have a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment,” she said.
"But then, after my MRI, they found another tumour so then it changed into a mastectomy and then, after my mastectomy, unfortunately, they found even more tumours.
“And my pathology wasn't what they were expecting, and they found another type of cancer and then they told me I needed chemo - for me that was a massive blow.
“It wasn't in the plan, originally - and I know the plan you can't get fixated on."
Amy added: “So, all of a sudden, then I realised, and you get scared, but the oncologist did say that with chemo I've got a really good chance of a cure.
“I was really scared and I didn't want to do chemo but then seeing someone like yourself [Erin] who's carried on and for me straight away it was my dancing, like, you can take away my boob but you can't take my dancing away from me and that's what I get really upset about.”
Amy was hoping to return to the Strictly Come Dancing stage coupled with a celeb, however, her plans have had to be put on hold.
“This year it means I'm not going to be able to dance with a celebrity on Strictly but I'm in such regular contact with the team,” she said.
“The BBC have just been utterly incredible.
“We are just one big family and they're going to be guided by me and there's so many ways to be involved in the show.”
She continued: “I'm just staying really positive and hopeful that I'm still going to be part of the show in some way and my aim is to continue dancing - the oncologist said to me movement is really, really good for people on chemo, it's important.
"So that was encouraging."
Speaking about Erin’s journey, Amy said: “And then obviously seeing someone like yourself and the way you've bounced back, it just gives me hope really.
“So I have struggled in accepting that I've gotta have chemo and what comes with it - the hair loss and everything else - but I'm determined to continue in a healthy way as much as I can.”
For advice, support and information, visit Breast Cancer Now.
Topics: Celebrity, Health, Strictly Come Dancing