AMANDA Rees is one of the lucky ones. The 31-year-old was diagnosed with breast cancer in June this year and was the fourth woman in her family to fight the disease. Her early detection and surgery means Ms Rees is yet another one of BreastWest’s success stories. 54131 Picture: SARAH MATRAY
By Charlene Gatt
IN June, 31-year-old Amanda Rees was the fourth woman in her family diagnosed with breast cancer. The Melton resident inherited the Braca 2 gene, a gene which puts you at a higher risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Ms Rees grandmother, mother and sister survived breast cancer, while two of her other sisters also had the gene.
Within three weeks of her diagnosis, she had a double mastectomy at Sunshine Hospital, removing the other breast as a preventative measure. Doctors are confident they have removed the cancer, but Ms Rees will need to take a daily tablet for the next five years and also has to take injections to reduce the risk of the cancer returning. She is undergoing breast reconstruction.
None of it could have been done without the help of BreastWest, a committee formed four years ago by Western Health’s Divisional Director of Surgical Services and breast cancer survivor Claire Culley to help breast cancer sufferers in the West.“Danielle Spence, the breast care nurse there, she is just brilliant,” Ms Rees said. “She’s there at all your appointments, she explains things in detail and makes things less overwhelming.
Having her support, that was everything to me.”Ms Rees said her two sisters who also had the gene were looking at preventative measures.“It doesn’t change the way you live your life, it just makes you more aware you need to monitor yourself better. “For myself, being so young, if I didn’t know that I had the gene and I felt a change, I probably would’ve waited, but knowing I had to be so cautious, I didn’t muck around.”
BreastWest will hold its annual yum cha luncheon fundraiser on 22 October at Plume Restaurant in Maribyrnong. The event raises over $20,000 a year for breast cancer sufferers in the West.Tickets are $55. Call Kathryn Farrell on 8345 7380 to book.
