Jodie Brown was 34, healthy and delighted to be pregnant with her third baby when she felt a small lump in her breast.
The Sydney mum voiced her concerns to her GP and midwife, only to be reassured that it was unlikely to be anything serious as lumpy breast tissue is common in pregnancy.
But, paired with the unusual weight loss she’d been experiencing, it was a sign of something far more sinister going on with her health.
Jodie, who had always been diligent with check-ups, was blissfully unaware of the stage three breast cancer growing in her chest.
‘I asked my GP and I asked all the midwives I saw regularly if it was something to do with my baby,’ Jodie, now 42, told FEMAIL.
‘It wasn’t symmetrical on both breasts, it was just on the one, right above my nipple.’
Jodie wasn’t the only one who was worried, with her mother raising her noticeable weight loss too. Both of them agreed it was a symptom of her gestational diabetes.
With a niggling feeling something was wrong remaining, Jodie continued to bring up the lump she felt to medical professionals.
Jodie Brown, now 42, was pregnant with her third child when she first noticed an unusual lump in her left breast in mid-2016
Jodie’s mum was concerned about the amount of weight she lost during her pregnancy, but she chalked it up to gestational diabetes
Their constant dismissals didn’t put her at ease, in fact, it did the opposite.
Jodie was given an ultrasound ‘just to be safe’ but the results were inconclusive. Her breast tissue was too dense.
‘The radiologist said they couldn’t see anything – it was all white matter,’ she recalled.
‘Because it was inconclusive my doctor thought it was just “settle down” on its own with time.’
Months passed, but the lump did not shrink. Instead, it grew harder and larger.
Still uneasy, Jodie demanded a second ultrasound but the results came back the same.
‘I was worried,’ she said.
‘My GP said, “We can’t do anything about it right now. Let’s wait until you give birth and then do a mammogram”.’
Jodie underwent the scan, but the results were inconclusive due to her dense breast tissue
Following the birth of her daughter, Jodie immediately followed up on her concerns
Following the birth of her daughter, Jodie returned to the doctor as early as possible for the mammogram.
Within a week she had it done, paired with a biopsy. This time, the results were undeniable.
‘I hadn’t even made it home from the biopsy when my GP called me,’ she said.
‘I live five minutes from the ultrasound clinic, and I was told to come in straight away. I knew then that it was bad news.’
Jodie was diagnosed with Triple Positive Invasive Ductal Carcinoma breast cancer and it had already spread to her lymph nodes.
She had several tumours – six of which were cancerous and the largest one was 7cm.
‘It was devastating because I had brought it up so many times during my pregnancy,’ she said.
‘I had two scans. I pushed for answers. And yet, by the time they diagnosed it, I was nearly at stage four – after which there’s no cure.
The diagnosis left Jodie feeling betrayed by the medical system that had downplayed her concerns for months
‘I felt a lot of anger. Why did this happen to me? Could anything have been done differently had it been diagnosed earlier?’
The diagnosis left Jodie feeling betrayed by those who had downplayed her concerns for months.
‘When women know something is wrong with their bodies, they should be taken seriously,’ she said.
‘I was proactive and I pushed for tests. And still, nothing showed up until it was almost too late.’
She underwent an aggressive treatment plan, including multiple surgeries, five months of chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted drug therapies.
Initially advised to have a mastectomy, Jodie was hopeful she could avoid losing her breast.
She underwent an aggressive treatment plan, including multiple surgeries, five months of chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted drug therapies
Throughout her battle, Jodie found solace in a local cancer survivor group and her family
‘The lump shrank slightly after I stopped breastfeeding – two weeks after giving birth – so we opted for a lumpectomy instead,’ she said.
Unfortunately, the margins weren’t clear, requiring a second lumpectomy.
When that too failed, she had no choice but to proceed with a full mastectomy.
‘By that point, I had already gone through so many surgeries that I was emotionally prepared for it,’ she said.
‘But it’s still such a confronting thing as a woman. Seeing yourself in the mirror for the first time after surgery is incredibly hard.’
Throughout her battle, Jodie found solace in a local breast cancer survivor group, The Youngies, who provided her with much-needed support.
‘They understood exactly what I was going through,’ she said.
Jodie also credits her husband, friends, and extended family for helping her navigate the exhausting process of treatment while caring for her newborn and two young boys
‘It wasn’t just about cancer – it was about life, about adjusting, about moving forward.’
Jodie also credits her husband, friends, and extended family for helping her navigate the exhausting process of treatment while caring for her newborn and two young boys.
‘It was a balancing act,’ she said.
‘My husband was working, taking care of the kids at night, and rushing to bring them to see me in the hospital. My in-laws helped with the baby so I could go to appointments. We somehow made it work.’
Jodie went through her gruelling treatment while on maternity leave, something that weighed heavily on her as she struggled to care for her young children while battling the side effects of chemotherapy and surgery.
‘I was terrified I wouldn’t see them grow up,’ she admitted.
‘I had a newborn, and my boys were still so little. I tried not to let it completely take over because I had to fight to survive for my family, but it was there in the back of my mind.
‘In a way, it was a blessing that I had a newborn baby who didn’t know I had cancer, didn’t feel sorry for me and instead needed me, and was 100 per cent dependent on me.’
Initially advised to have a mastectomy, Jodie was hopeful she could avoid losing her breast
Jodie, who is now in remission, said to this day she is still worried about the future, but she’s working through it.
‘It’s taken me a few years to get here, but I try to stop and think, is this serving me to worry? Is there any evidence that would give me cause to worry?,’ she said.
‘I’m just focusing on what and who is important to me in life, who shows me I’m important to them, and spending time and energy on those people.’
As part of her healing process, Jodie and her family took a much-needed break through the Otis Foundation, which provides accommodation to breast cancer patients.
The break was something she’d recommend to any and all mothers in her position.
As part of her healing process, Jodie and her family took a much-needed break through the Otis Foundation, which provides accommodation to breast cancer patients
Jodie will remain on the drug Tamoxifen until October 2028, a hormone therapy drug used to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer by blocking oestrogen receptors in the body.
While highly effective, Tamoxifen is known to cause side effects such as hot flashes, joint pain, fatigue, and mood changes.
‘The side effects have been brutal,’ she said.
‘I’ve had to deal with a lot of mood changes – my tolerance just changed almost overnight. It might’ve been exacerbated by me having young children who couldn’t do things for themselves, but it was difficult.’
Jodie also gained 15kg and experienced intense hair loss because she was put into chemically induced menopause at only 35.
Despite the ongoing struggles, she remains committed to staying on the medication for as long as needed to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.
‘It’s hard, but it’s a small price to pay for more time with my kids,’ she said.
Despite the ongoing struggles, she remains committed to staying on the medication for as long as needed to reduce the risk of the cancer returning
Despite the trauma of her diagnosis, Jodie remains grateful for what she calls her ‘second chance’.
‘I had to fight,’ she said. ‘I had three little ones who needed me. I couldn’t afford to give up.’
She now urges other women to trust their instincts and demand further testing if something feels wrong.
Jodie is also now looking to change careers and hopes to find a job in the breast cancer awareness space where she can help other women through their health journeys.
‘I’ve lost five friends to breast cancer since my own diagnosis, and I really want to be able to help raise funds for research and better treatment options. I want to contribute to making sure that the future looks brighter for those diagnosed.’
Leading research organisation, Breast Cancer Trials, is hosting a Q&A on Wednesday March 19th focusing on the latest breast cancer research.
You can register for the event at www.breastcancertrials.org.au/qa-events/qa-breast-cancer-research-current-progress-and-future-pathways/.
The panel of experts includes Professor Fran Boyle AM, Professor Bruce Mann, and Dr Stephen Luen who will provide the latest updates on breast cancer research, focusing on the key research areas that are transforming the landscape of patient care.
