Breast cancer awareness: 'My chemo was so strong the nurse had to be gowned up like an astronaut'

• Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of cancer in the UK.
• A woman in the UK is diagnosed with breast cancer every 10 minutes.
• The Avon Boob Census found that while four-fifths of women have a regular shower or self-care routine, only half include breast self-exams as part of this.
• Breast health advocate Joanna Newark, 52, opens up about her experience with breast cancer and encourages others to check their breasts regularly.

Breast health campaigner Joanna Newark, 52, wants to open up the conversation and encourage everyone to incorporate a daily breast self-exam into their routine. She also hopes to encourage conversation around breast health despite it feeling embarrassing or awkward.

Before being diagnosed, Newark, a breast health advocate at Avon, was living in New York, working a dream job that she loved and enjoying her single life - until she found a lump.

Newark explains: “I was living my best life in New York – I had an amazing, dream job in communications that I loved, and I was enjoying all of the things about being single in one of the best cities in the world.”

She continues: “I was working a lot, in a global role so travelling too, but also enjoying exploring the city with new friends, shopping, theatre, incredible restaurants and so on. Life was hectic but exciting. I had been regularly checking myself, so when I found a lump, I knew it was something different to normal.”

Newark had had lumps before and convinced herself that it was probably nothing, it was during the summer and she was busy and travelling so put off seeing her GP. She finally made an appointment during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, where she received the devastating diagnosis.

She explained: “She told me it was suspicious and immediately referred me for a mammogram and ultrasound. Everything moved very fast, I felt very lucky to have good healthcare and doctors who listened and took action. At the ultrasound, they did a biopsy and told me it was cancer.”

Continuing: “When I received the diagnosis, I was floored. I hadn’t expected to get the results there and then, so I wasn’t prepared. I had to tell my friends and family which was awful, and I had to come up with a plan as I was living on my own in New York.

“I treated it like a work problem – got all the information then decided what I needed to do. It was overwhelming with lots of opinions and sometimes unwanted advice. It was a pretty aggressive form of cancer, so I decided I wanted to throw everything at it.”

Newark decided to have a double mastectomy and reconstruction and six months of chemotherapy. Describing the treatment as “intense” she explains: “I had the surgery in November and then started my chemo in December. The chemo was so strong the nurse had to be gowned up like a spaceman to administer it.”

Adding: “My hair fell out just before Christmas, so my mum took me to the local hairdresser to shave it off. After the chemo finished, I had my reconstructive surgery, so it was about a year of procedures.”

Avon’s latest Boob Census, which reflects the views of more than seven thousand women across seven international countries shows that less than half (45%) of women said they felt confident they could spot a sign of breast cancer.

Following on from her experience, Newark encourages others to check their breasts regularly and not to underestimate the mental impact of receiving a cancer diagnosis.

Newark explains: “More people need to understand the importance of checking your breasts and knowing your normal. I urge women everywhere to know the signs, know the risks and know how to take action. Early detection is so important, I’m literally living proof of that.

“Secondly, I think it’s that in addition to the obvious physical impact, there’s also a mental health impact which can be harder to figure out. Physically there’s a series of procedures you follow, but mentally it’s a lot more challenging and you have to find out what works for you.”

Newark created a series of coping mechanisms to help her deal with the mental health impact of her diagnosis, this involved exploring things she loved doing and looking for ways to find joy every day, she also credits the support of her incredible friends and family.

She urges others not to shy away from conversations about breast health, even if it can feel awkward. Newark says: “Conversations about breast health can be difficult or feel embarrassing but talking about it is such a powerful way to help break down stigma and remind people to know their normal.

“It’s important we continue to normalise breast awareness and encourage self-checking as part of a self-care routine. The reality is breast self-exams are incredibly simple to incorporate into a daily routine and can save lives.”

She continues: “As a breast cancer survivor, I strive to use my voice to support and inspire women to take their breast health into their own hands. I feel incredibly proud to now work at Avon where raising awareness of breast cancer is part of my job and I get to be involved in the amazing work being done to educate and empower women.”

Adding: “It’s been over seven years since my last chemotherapy session and every year when the date comes up, I feel incredibly grateful. Sometimes I can’t believe it ever happened, other times I am scared the cancer will come back and I worry about any pain or ache. But I have a renewed energy on doing what I love and what matters most and enjoying every single moment.”

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The NHS outline that symptoms of breast cancer in women can include:

• a lump, or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit
• a change in the skin of your breast, such as dimpling or redness
• a change in size or shape of 1 or both breasts
• nipple discharge (if you are not pregnant or breastfeeding), which may have blood in it
• a change in the shape or look of your nipple, such as it turning inwards or a rash on it
• pain in your breast or armpit which does not go away – breast pain that comes and goes is usually not a symptom of breast cancer

If you notice a lump or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit, have any changes in your breasts or nipples that are not normal for you or have pain in your breast or armpit that does not go away it’s important to see your GP to get checked.

You can find out more about the symptoms and how to access support for breast cancer at NHS.UK.