“This was my second time facing up to breast cancer, and you’d think it would be easier”.
That’s what Cecilia, 60, presumed when she received her second breast cancer diagnosis in May this year – nine years after the first.
“But it wasn’t, either mentally or physically. You can’t help having terrible thoughts in your head. No matter how positive you think you are, you are human, after all.”
Cecilia is one of about 160 new breast cancer patients to have treatment at Western Health so far this year. She has undergone major surgery and is now working her way through her recovery.
The mum of two from St Albans says she is “very fortunate and grateful” for the care she’s received from the surgical and nursing teams, the breast care nursing team, and the Hospital in the Home (HITH) team.
And the support from Western Health has gone beyond clinical treatment.
Thanks to the Western Health Foundation, in partnership with the EFM Health Club at Sunshine Hospital, Cecilia is taking part in a 12-week exercise program for breast cancer patients.
“I was always very active before, and I missed it,” she says. “So I’m very happy to be doing this program – being active again and meeting other women in my situation.”
Cecilia’s experience is backed up by recent Western Health research, published in the Australian Journal of Cancer Nursing, which found that “supervised gym-based exercise programs… have a positive impact on (patients’) self-reported health and wellbeing, and have psychosocial benefits including peer support”.
Cecilia is generously sharing her story during Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to shine a light on breast health overall – as well as the support and services available to people with breast cancer.
Sue Komp, one of Western Health’s Breast Care Nurse Consultants, is pleased that breast cancer awareness among the community has increased over her career, however she urges individuals to remain vigilant.
“Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among Australian women, aside from melanoma skins cancer,” Sue says. 
“Finding breast cancer early provides the best chance of surviving the disease. Remember you don’t need to be an expert of use a special technique to check your breasts.”
Sue says the changes to look for include:
new lump or lumpiness, especially if it’s only in one breast
change in size or shape of your breast
change to the nipple, such as crusting, ulcer, redness or inversion
nipple discharge that occurs without squeezing
change in the skin of your breast, such as redness or dimpling
unusual pain that doesn’t go away
Western Health’s breast services are multi-faceted and include surgery (including breast reconstruction), chemotherapy, radiation therapy, inpatient and outpatient care, and physiotherapy.
Our breast care nursing team includes Western Health breast care nurses (for patients in the earlier stages of breast cancer) and McGrath breast care nurses (for patients with metastatic/stage 4 breast cancer).
The Western Health Foundation supports breast cancer patients in a range of ways, including through the funding of a Breast Care Nurse scholarship each year, which covers tuition and is open to any nurse in Western Health.
The Foundation and Breast West also fund a range of other services to our breast cancer patients, including wig vouchers, nipple tattooing, subsidised lymphoedema treatment, and various products such as under-arm pillows, drain tube bags, bras and skincare products.
