An Australian HR manager who was diagnosed with stage three triple-negative breast cancer has advised other women of all ages to be diligent with checking their breasts.
Jayne Dalton, from Melbourne, was 46 years old in August 2009 when she felt a lump on the side of her right breast which was detected as a small but deadly 2.5-centimetre tumour.
Jayne has always maintained a healthy lifestyle and ‘got into the habit’ of checking her breasts at the start of every month after hearing a regular radio campaign, which ultimately saved her life.
‘One month I was fine, and the next I found a lump – so I went straight to the GP,’ Jayne, now 57, told FEMAIL.
Before being diagnosed she was considered to be ‘low risk’ by doctors since she was under 50, but was lucky she found the sinister lump early.
Stage three triple-negative breast cancer is a unique type of cancer that isn’t fuelled by hormones and can only be treated through chemotherapy, as it doesn’t respond to other hormonal therapy medicines.
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Jayne Dalton, from Melbourne, (pictured) was 46 years old in August 2009 when she felt a small lump on the side of her right breast which was detected as a small but deadly 2.5-centimetre tumour
‘One month I was fine, and the next I found a lump – so I went straight to the GP,’ Jayne, now 57, told FEMAIL
After visiting the GP Jayne went to Breastscreen Australia to get a mammogram with a ‘special exemption’ because she was under 50 – the following day she was diagnosed with the rare form of breast cancer.
‘When I felt the lump and pressed on it, it hurt – and I thought “well it’s not cancer because tumours don’t hurt”, but that wasn’t the case,’ she said.
‘It felt like a piece of gravel or pebble in my breast – it was hard and didn’t move.’
Jayne experienced no symptoms and is unaware of most of her family history records as she was adopted into another family.
‘Apparently my biological mother had breast cancer twice, but I took a DNA test and don’t have the BRCA genes,’ she said.
Jayne was told those who suffer from triple-negative breast cancer have a very low chance of survival, which she was terrified to hear.
‘I thought I was going to die,’ Jayne said, adding: ‘The battle of your mind is the hardest one to win.’
‘People tell you to think positive, but it’s really difficult when you’re in the situation and don’t have any energy to rise up within yourself to take it on.’
Jayne was told those who suffer from triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis have a very low chance of survival, which she was terrified to hear
‘I thought I was going to die,’ Jayne said, adding: ‘The battle of your mind is the hardest one to win.’
The following week after being diagnosed, Jayne had surgery to remove the tumour from her breast but needed a second surgery as the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, which also had to be removed.
‘Two weeks after the second surgery I started my first round of chemotherapy and continued the treatment for 18 weeks,’ she said.
Doctors were restricted to only chemotherapy as it’s the only treatment the cancer responds to.
Jayne described the treatment as a ‘horrible’ feeling and after the first round her hair ‘felt like straw’.
‘It would hurt lying down on the pillow, so I took the doctor’s advice and went to the barber to get a buzz cut.
‘You think losing your hair is going to be the worst thing ever, then you realise how superficial your life has been caring about what you look like,’ she said.
In addition to losing her hair, Jayne also experienced other bad side effects from the chemotherapy, including hallucinations, skin irritation on her feet and a six-month open wound on her arm from the needle.
She was also ‘projected into menopause’ and had night sweats and hot flushes.
‘It’s such as personal cancer, because it takes away the part that makes you a woman and your femininity is wrapped up in it,’ she said.
The following week after being diagnosed, Jayne had surgery to remove the tumour from her breast but needed a second surgery as the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, which also had to be removed
Jayne described the treatment as a ‘horrible’ feeling and after the first round her hair ‘felt like straw’
Jayne continued working through all her treatments to keep her mind distracted from the cancer and ongoing treatments.
‘Working gave me a purpose and a reason; I made sure not many changes were made to my everyday life,’ she said.
Three weeks after completing the chemotherapy treatments, Jayne started radiation every day for six weeks.
‘The radiation made my breast blister, turn very red and look like it was sunburnt, so I couldn’t wear bras,’ she said.
Jayne continue working through all her treatments to keep her mind distracted from the cancer and treatments
After the radiation, Jayne’s treatment was complete and she went on to having six-month then annual mammograms.
Years on she still has annual ultrasounds and check-ups, but doctors have never found anything sinister.
But in June 2018 she was rushed to the emergency room as she was having trouble breathing, and doctors found two blood clots in her lungs as a result of having breast cancer.
The blood clots delayed Jayne’s Europe trip of a lifetime which she was saving for and called her ‘bucket list’ holiday.
After the radiation, Jayne’s treatment was complete and she went on to having six-month then annual mammograms
Years on she still has annual ultrasounds and check-ups, but doctors have never found anything sinister
Jayne said having cancer has completely changed her life but she’s very thankful she found the tumour early on.
To spread the awareness and remind other women to check their breasts, Jayne shares monthly reminders on Instagram via her page Style Guru Jayne.
‘I’m very passionate about early detection for any illness and it’s so important to be proactive,’ she said.
‘I’ve never been given the “all clear”, but I feel very lucky to have been supported by doctors and other women during the treatment.’
Jayne strongly recommends women of any age to check their breasts on a monthly basis and get checked by a doctor if needed.
