Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has announced that she has started treatment for her breast cancer in hospital.
The 32-year-old dancer announced last week that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump in her breast while preparing for her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones.
Sharing a snap from her hospital bed on Instagram, Amy wrote that she is “more determined than ever” to get back on the Strictly dance floor.
The caption of her post read, “Step One to Fighting Cancer!” “Rrrrrrready for this fight and more determined than ever to get back on the dance floor.”
Many of the “Amy’s Strictly” co-stars offered their own congratulations for the star in the comments below their post. Karen Hauer wrote, “I love you ♥️ you got that.”
“Ready for this fight!” Strictly Come Dancing star Amy Dowden has announced that she has started treatment for her breast cancer in hospital
Determined: The dancer shared a snap from her hospital bed on Instagram, writing that she is “more determined than ever” to get back on the Strictly dance floor
Tom Fletcher added: “Sending you all my love today.” We Fletchers are right behind you. X’
Former It Takes Two host Zoe Ball commented, “Lots of love and strength to you, beautiful Amy.”
Amy has received a wave of public support from her Strictly co-stars since publicly announcing her diagnosis. Producers have confirmed that her position on the show will remain vacant until she returns.
The Strictly Come Dancing pro shared her diagnosis on Instagram in May and discussed the possibility of returning to the BBC show for her new series later this year.
She wrote: “Hi everyone, I have some news that’s not easy to share.” I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer but am determined to get back on the dance floor quickly. “Welsh love Amy.”
The dancer has battled Crohn’s disease since childhood and said she’s been through “quite a lot” with health issues in her life.
She told HELLO at the time, “You just don’t think that’s ever going to happen to you.” I didn’t think it was possible to get breast cancer at my age. “My mother had breast cancer, but she got it at a later age, in her 50s.”
Amy said it was taking part in the CoppaTrek! a walk in support of the CoppaFeel charity last June! This led to her discovering her own cancer.
Scary: Amy announced last week that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer after discovering a lump in her breast while preparing for her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones
Realizing that she wasn’t “checking her boobs,” she then made a conscious effort to check herself by saying “CoppaFeel!” “Possibly saved her life.”
“I don’t know how long that knot could have been there before I noticed it and did something about it,” she added.
Amy said she discovered a lump in her right breast in April, a day before she and her husband flew to the Maldives for a belated honeymoon following their wedding last July.
The dancer said she was in “shock” and decided to keep an eye on the lump before going to the doctor when the lump grew on her return home.
She was immediately sent to an emergency referral where she was told the knot looked “suspicious” and to “prepare for the worst”.
After a biopsy, Amy was told she had stage 3 breast cancer. Her first question is when she can return to the dance floor.
Third-degree cancer is when the cells look very different from normal breast cells and tend to spread faster. The grade describes what a cancer cell looks like under the microscope.
It differs from cancer stage, which describes the size of the cancer and how it has spread. Amy has yet to figure out what stage of her cancer she is at.
Amy said her cancer was caught “early” and she is now awaiting more information before being given a full treatment plan, including surgery.
She is awaiting an MRI scan and a biopsy after doctors find a second lump in her right breast, and after this step she will have a full prognosis.
Prognosis: She said her cancer was caught ‘early’ and she is now awaiting more information before being given a full treatment plan, including surgery
After sharing her diagnosis on Instagram, Amy was inundated with supportive comments from her Strictly pros and stars who appeared on the show.
Amy has struggled with a number of health issues over the years after being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of 11.
Crohn’s disease is described by the NHS as a “lifelong condition” in which parts of the digestive system become inflamed.
Among other symptoms, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, exhaustion and diarrhea can occur.
What is breast cancer, how many people does it affect and what are the symptoms?
Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide. There are more than 55,000 new cases in the UK each year and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women.
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer arises from a cancer cell that develops in the lining of a milk duct, or lobule, in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread to the surrounding breast tissue, it is called “invasive” breast cancer. Some people are diagnosed with “carcinoma in situ,” where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobules.
Most cases occur in women over the age of 50, but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, but it is rare.
The staging stage is about how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
Cancer cells are graded from low (slow growth) to high (rapid growth). High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after the initial treatment.
What Causes Breast Cancer?
A cancerous tumor starts from an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. Something is thought to damage or change certain genes in the cell. As a result, the cell becomes abnormal and multiplies.
There are some risk factors that can increase the risk of developing breast cancer, such as genetic factors.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless breast lump, although most breast lumps are noncancerous and are fluid-filled cysts that are benign.
The first place where breast cancer usually spreads is in the armpit lymph nodes. When this happens, a swelling or lump develops in the armpit.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call toll free on 0808 800 6000