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Australian mum Danni's 'lucky' decision to check her own breasts saved her life

By April Glover|

An Australian woman has credited self-examination for saving her life after a shock breast cancer diagnosis two decades ago.

Danni Gray, 58, remembers the earth-shattering day doctors said she might have cancer for more than just one reason.

The South Australian mother-of-two sat in the waiting room, watching the small, blurry television as the World Trade Centre buildings in New York City tumbled to the ground on September 11, 2001. On a day marred by worldwide tragedy, Danni was suffering her own personal calamity.?

"I distinctly remember sitting in the doctor's surgery waiting to go in and see about this lump that I found," Danni tells 9Honey. "I was looking at the TV screen as it was all unfolding that day."

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Danni Gray breast cancer
Danni Gray found a lump through self-examination two decades ago. (Supplied)

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Almost 21 years ago, Danni made the life-altering decision to check her breasts for lumps.

She was only 38 จC not yet at the age doctors recommended for regular mammograms จC but her grandmother had been diagnosed with breast cancer years earlier.

"Because my Nana had to, even though she was 84 when she was diagnosed, I thought I'd might as well start checking," Danni recalls.

"I wasn't old enough for the mammograms, so I did a self-exam. Luckily I did, because that's when I found the lump."

Danni's initiative took her all the way to the doctor's office, where she was referred to pathology.

The tests and a subsequent lumpectomy confirmed she indeed had breast cancer: Invasive ductal carcinoma, stage one, grade three, to be exact.

Her immediate reaction was a "sinking feeling". Danni needed chemotherapy to truly fight this disease and she had two little girls to think about.

"My daughters were only three and five at the time and I wanted to do anything and everything I could to knock it on the head," she says.

"When I got that phone call, I kind of took it in, handed the phone over to my Mum and went outside to play in the backyard with the girlsกญ just to try and be normal."

Danni Gray breast cancer
The mum-of-two also tested positive for the BRCA 1 gene. (Supplied)

Danni had a lumpectomy and seven lymph nodes removed, which were all จC thankfully จC negative for cancer cells.

The aggressive nature of the cancer meant she needed three months of chemotherapy just before Christmas 2001.

"It all started in September and ended by December, so it was a good Christmas present," Danni recalls gratefully.

Once her six weeks of radiotherapy was finished, Danni was in the all-clear.

In the years following her diagnosis, the only memory of her breast cancer was a yearly check-up. She says her decision to self-check "definitely" saved her life.

"If I didn't do my own self-exam, I wouldn't be here," Danni says. "It could have been so much worse."

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Then, in 2019, after 18 years, Danni decided to have genetic testing to see if she had the BRCA gene. The test came back positive for the BRCA 1 gene mutation.?

The BRCA 1 gene heightens a woman's risk of developing breast or ovarian cancer.?

"It was a bit of a shock because both the people doing the tests and my specialists thought the chance would be slim because my Nana was the only one in my family diagnosed with breast cancer," Danni says.

"I just didn't want to bother with the stress of mammograms every year, so I decided to have a mastectomy."

It was a no brainer for the Aussie mum. "Although, if I was younger it probably would have been a whole different scenario," she adds.

Danni Gray breast cancer
Danni with her parents and daughters. (Supplied)

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Danni's two daughters also had the genetic testing, with her youngest daughter, now aged 25, also testing positive for BRCA 1.?

"We're looking at it as a positive. She's aware of it and has the tools to do something about it," she says.

"So many people are walking around out there who [have cancer] and don't know and will only find out until it's too late. She knows and can do something about it when the time comes."

In advance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, AUNZ's largest oncology research group, Breast Cancer Trials, have just announced their next expert Q&A panel, which will take place on October 24th from 5-6.30pm.?

Approximately 5-10 per cent of breast cancer cases are thought to be hereditary, where a gene mutation has been passed on directly from a parent. Typically, these women are diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age and may have a more aggressive form of the disease.

The most commonly inherited gene mutations are known as the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutations.?

Everyone has the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and in normal cells, these genes help make proteins that repair damaged DNA. However, mutated versions of these genes result in the accumulation of damaged DNA, which can lead to abnormal cell growth and may lead to cancer.

The month of October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. To learn more, visit www.breastcancertrials.org.au/breast-cancer-resources

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