17 April 2023 , 14:39
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A woman who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer in her twenties is now cancer free and will soon be taking to the catwalk to "live her childhood dream".
In January last year, Anna Ramsey discovered a small lump in her right breast, but was told by her GP that "it was benign and nothing to worry about".
Then a few months afterwards, the 28-year-old noticed another lump - this time in her left breast, measuring 2cm in diameter - which was "more visible".
She assumed it was also unsuspicious and delayed booking a doctor's appointment, but an ultrasound and biopsy six weeks later confirmed she had aggressive breast cancer.
Anna noticed two small lumps in her breasts at the start of last year (PA Real Life)
She underwent chemotherapy, a mastectomy and radiotherapy (PA Real Life)The news came as a "massive, massive shock" to Anna, who had been living a "standard, fun life", socialising, travelling and spending time with friends.
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Anna underwent chemotherapy for five months, which resulted in her losing the majority of her hair and feeling extremely fatigued.
She then had a double mastectomy in December - where both breasts are removed - and immediate implant reconstruction surgery, followed by radiotherapy.
Anna responded well to treatment and will soon be taking part in The Show, a fashion show run by the charity Breast Cancer Now, to celebrate her body and raise awareness of the disease.
"It's just a great opportunity to celebrate how far we've come and get all dressed up," Anna, who lives in Sutton, London, said.
"After feeling like rubbish, and having your appearance change over the last year, having that opportunity to wear really nice clothes, get your hair and makeup done, and be surrounded with other women who know exactly what you've been through, will be amazing."
It came as a huge shock to be told she had aggressive cancer (PA Real Life)
Anna remained positive as she responded well to treatment in hospital (PA Real Life)The PR manager is excited to wear a designer bright pink evening gown and experience everything - from the rush of getting changed to walking off stage.
It comes after Anna received the shocking diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer in May last year - a more aggressive form of breast cancer, which is harder to treat.
"My consultant just cut straight to the chase and said, 'the lump is cancerous'," she said.
"Everything was all a bit of a blur to be honest, I wasn't really taking anything in.
"I found out that I'd need to have chemotherapy, and I think the hardest part was finding out that I'm probably going to lose my hair, and I didn't know if I'd be able to work.
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"I was just totally shocked."
According to Breast Cancer Now, only around 15 percent of all breast cancers are triple negative and it is more common in younger women who carry an altered BRCA gene.
She is now cancer free and will be joining Breast Cancer Now's catwalk The Show (PA Real Life)Anna found out that she carried the altered BRCA1 gene during treatment - an inherited gene that increases the risk of breast cancer.
She opted to have a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of breast cancer recurrence.
However, prior to this, she started undergoing chemotherapy in June at St George's Hospital in Tooting, which significantly affected the number of blood cells in her body and led to her requiring a blood transfusion, as well as causing extreme fatigue and hair loss.
Anna said she had always enjoyed dressing up and getting her hair done, and so seeing her appearance change during this time was "quite scary".
"Even though it wasn't very nice to see those changes, luckily I could use different turbans and wigs and makeup, and people wouldn't really know the difference," she said.
"The appearance side was quite difficult… but just remembering that it's temporary, and it will get better, really helped me get through it."
Anna responded well to chemotherapy and underwent a double mastectomy in December and had immediate implant reconstruction surgery at the same time.
Anna is excited to celebrate life and raise awareness of the disease on stage (PA Real Life)She said her surgeon and the breast cancer team were "amazing", but she still had some residual cancer left after her chemotherapy - tissue measuring 6mm in her left breast.
She then underwent three weeks of radiotherapy in February this year.
As Anna has the BRCA1 altered gene, she will be taking preventative medication for another year and have regular check-ups, but she has since been told she is cancer free.
She said the support from Breast Cancer Now has been amazing, and she cannot wait to participate in The Show, which she signed up for during chemotherapy.
Anna wishes to stress the importance of checking your breasts and maintaining a positive mindset, as "there is light at the end of the tunnel".
"It's all a bit of a blur," Anna said. "Sometimes I just can't actually believe that it's happened to me.
"It's coming up to a year now since I was diagnosed and it's been such a bizarre time… but I think I have managed to have a positive attitude most of the time, and that's helped me."
She added: "I'm really excited to be taking part in The Show and to raise awareness of breast cancer, no matter how old you are, and to celebrate life.
"I can finally live my childhood dream of walking down a runway."
To register to watch The Show virtually on April 20, please visit Breast Cancer Now's website.
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