“I AM b y arel 30, I NEVER THOUGHT I’D HAVE A TUMOUR NEARLY THE SIZE OF MY WHOLE BREAST.”
MORE YOUNG WOMEN HAVE BEEN DIAGNOSED WITH BREAST CANCER IN THE LAST DECADE. TWO WOMEN SHARE POIGNANT STORIES OF FEAR AND SURVIVAL, AND WHY SELF-EXAMINATION CAN SAVE LIVES.
In February, she discovered a hard lump on her breast and experiencedfainting,andfeverish spells.Twomonthslater,inApril, after consulting a specialist, accountant Oh Mei Qi was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. She’s only 29.
“I’m anaemic, so I never thought these ailments (fainting spells and fever) were pointing to breast cancer,” says Mei Qi, who’s currently undergoing chemotherapy.
“I’m barely 30... I never thought I’d have a tumour nearly the size of my whole breast, and be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer.”
Triple-negative breast cancer accounts for about 10 to 15 per cent of all breast cancers. It’s a type of breast cancer that does not have any of the three receptors commonly found on breast cancer cells.
