Survivor: Get your breasts checked
Marcia Sinclair was one year away from her first mammogram when she found a lump in her breast.
She was 49 years old and had planned to get regular screening of her breasts from 50.
Now 72, the breast cancer survivor is speaking out as part of the Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition’s annual fundraiser, Show Your Heart for Women Living with Breast Cancer.
‘‘ When discovering the lump, you first think it will go away,’’ she said. ‘‘ But when it was there for a week I decided to get it investigated.
‘‘ It was about the size of a pea and I thought I should get it looked at, then I learnt it was breast cancer.’’
Sinclair underwent about 12 weeks of chemotherapy and had a mastectomy. But soon after, cancer was detected in her other breast and she had that removed as well.
‘‘ It was traumatic, breasts are quite important to women,’’ she said. ‘‘ But I had such great support from my husband, children and the oncology unit at Palmerston North Hospital.’’
Sinclair said she always planned on having a mammogram – it was just unfortunate that cancer struck first.
‘‘ This was way back in 1991 and in those days there were no free mammograms so I thought 50 was soon enough, but it turned out not to be,’’ she said. ‘‘ I had also been put off by other women commenting about how painful it was, but it is a small amount of pain, and worthwhile going because the earlier it is detected the easier it is to treat.’’
Coalition chairwoman Libby Burgess said this year it wanted older women to take time to practise breast awareness.
‘‘ More than 700 women aged 70 and over are diagnosed with breast cancer in New Zealand every year, and that number is only going to grow as our population ages,’’ she said. ‘‘ We value our older women and we want them to take care of themselves.
‘‘ That’s why we’re asking those over 70 years to remain vigilant about breast health, because you’re never too old to get breast cancer.’’
The Show Your Heart campaign is supported by Arnott’s Tim Tam biscuits, with 20 cents from every pack sold in Countdown supermarkets between May 12 and June 8 going to the coalition.
Funds raised in this year’s campaign will help to pay for the coalition’s Step by Step support and information pack which is distributed free- of- charge to the thousands of Kiwi women diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
Visit the coalition’s website breast cancer. org. nz/ show- your- heart for more information.