Angela Walton was diagnosed with grade 2 invasive ductal cancer of the left breast following a routine mammogram at her first screening with BreastCheck in March 2023. From Ballyleague in Co. Roscommon, Angela is 53 years of age, married, a mother of 3 children and works full-time as a nurse.
This is Angela’s story.
“When I turned 50 in 2020, I registered with the national breast screening programme to have a mammogram. With my work and having some friends who have experienced breast cancer, I was anxious to have the scan. Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, the screening programme was suspended for a time and I was called to have my first mammogram at the end of February 2023.
The whole experience of having the mammogram was uneventful. I had it at my local BreastCheck unit at Roscommon hospital and it took less than 10 minutes. Delighted with myself and thinking no more about it, I was shocked to receive a letter 10 days later from the BreastCheck screening programme requesting that I attend their clinic in Galway. The leaflets that came with the letter explained that 1 woman in 20 needs to have more tests following their first mammogram and most women get normal results after these tests.
Feeling a little anxious, myself and my husband Guy attended the Galway clinic. On that day it was explained to me that a shadow was noted on my first mammogram that warranted further investigation. I had a repeat mammogram, a clinical examination, a needle test biopsy and a post-biopsy mammogram. All of this happened in the BreastCheck unit within a period of about 3 hours. Guy was with me while everything was explained in easy-to-understand medical terms. There were opportunities to ask questions and the staff were friendly and open. We left with an appointment to come back for the results a week later.
I felt very positive that the results would be fine and I would most likely have to have a cyst removed. There was no lump to feel, no change in my breast tissue and I felt fit and well. At this point we had not discussed any of this with our children or other family members. We both attended the clinic to receive the results and met with a consultant surgeon. She explained that the biopsy results indicated grade 2 oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer. I have to say that it was a shock, and while my mind was processing that she had said cancer, my husband was calmly asking all the right questions and absorbing all of the information that was being given to us. She explained that she would schedule me in for surgery that same week.
Within a few days I was in Galway University Hospital as a day patient having a wide local incision of a 13mm tumour and sentinel lymph node biopsy. This surgery was to remove only the breast lump and some normal tissue around it, and to biopsy some of the lymph nodes from my arm pit as this would show if the cancer had spread.
All of this happened within a month of me having my first mammogram. It was difficult to comprehend and process that all of this was happening to me. By far the most distressing times were having to tell my children and my parents. They were scared and upset, naturally, as at times like this we tend to think of loved ones we have lost in the past to cancer.
Three weeks after my surgery we returned to the BreastCheck clinic. The surgeon explained that the surgery was successful at removing all of the cancer and that the margins of the breast tissue removed were clear of cancer. This meant that I would not require any further surgery. One cancerous cell was found in the sentinel nodes that were biopsied. This was considered non-consequential.
I was then referred on to a radiologist and an oncologist for further treatment to help prevent the cancer returning. I had some genomic testing (known as OncotypeDX Breast recurrence Score) which can show how likely breast cancer is to come back, and if I might benefit from having chemotherapy and hormone therapy.
It is now October 2023. I did not require chemotherapy treatment as the genomic testing determined that my type of cancer was not likely to benefit from this treatment. I have completed a four-week course of radiotherapy treatment in Galway University Hospital. My oncologist has started me on hormone therapy which is designed to stop oestrogen from helping cancer to grow. I’m back at work and feel fully recovered.
I’ve been amazed at the number of women who have had similar experiences as me, and I’ve been shocked at the number of women I have met who have not checked the register to make sure they will get their invitation for screening. I consider myself incredibly lucky that I had my mammogram when I did. The X-ray is a picture taken at a specific moment in time and I was lucky that my mammogram identified a tumour, still too small to feel, and yet one cancer cell had entered a lymph node. If I had had my screening earlier it might not have shown up on the mammogram. And then if I had delayed going for screening, my treatment plan and diagnosis would most likely be very different.
Every single person that was involved in my treatment was reassuring, positive, informative and helpful. There is so much support and excellent facilities. My message to women is to check the register and when you get your invitation go for your screening.
For me, the outlook is positive.”
The National Screening Service and BreastCheck programme would like to thank Angela for sharing her story with us.
If you have a story to tell and would like support to tell it, you can contact us to arrange a chat at communications@screeningservice.ie
BreastCheck is for women aged 50 to 69 who have no symptoms of breast cancer.
Check, update or join the breast screening register.
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