Amy Dowden followers left ‘sobbing’ as she particulars breast most cancers journey

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Published: 21:41, 26 August 2024 | Updated: 21:53, 26 August 2024

Amy Dowden fans were left ‘sobbing’ and branded her an ‘inspiration’ on Monday night as she bravely opened up about her breast cancer journey in her heartbreaking BBC documentary, Cancer and Me.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 34, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023 and in what became the toughest year of her life, Amy underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment and also almost died of sepsis.

Amy decided to let the cameras in to document her journey, with the film following Amy through several stages of her fight with the disease.

The film saw several heart-wrenching moments, including Amy facing her first chemotherapy session, the agonising wait for results and the TV star shaving her head as she tackled her hair loss.

Watching the scenes unfold, several viewers rushed to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their admiration for the Welsh dancer, with several noting they were in tears as they watched her health struggle.

The Strictly Come Dancing star, 34, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May 2023 and in what became the toughest year of her life, Amy underwent a mastectomy , chemotherapy, fertility treatment and also almost died of sepsis

They penned: ‘Tough watch, but what an inspiration.’

‘Oh my dear Lord, #AmyDowden is such an inspiration, Bless her heart. Am sobbing Xx.’

‘Sat here watching Strictly Amy : cancer and me, and I’m crying. Love you, Amy.’

‘This Amy Dowden story is a tough watch. Gulp. What an incredibly strong & brave woman.’

‘Oh my lord #AmyDowden is such an inspiration! I’ve spent the first 14 mins of this program sobbing, yet she’s incredibly strong!’

In one particularly emotional moment, the dancer breaks down in tears as she’s fitted with a cold cap ahead of her first chemotherapy session.

The star struggles to fight back tears as her mother and the nurses comfort her, with Amy sobbing that she ‘doesn’t want to do this’.

Other scenes in the documentary sees the Welsh beauty shaving her head before dancing in the garden, surrounded by love and support from her loved ones.

Amy decided to let the cameras in to document her journey, with the film following Amy through several stages of her fight with the disease

The film saw several heart-wrenching moments, including Amy facing her first chemotherapy session, the agonising wait for results and the TV star shaving her head as she tackled her hair loss

After her initial diagnosis, Amy faced sleepless nights after a second cancer scare in July of last year.

In the documentary, the star was told by her oncologist that they found ‘spots’ on her scan results, leading to an agonising wait to see if the cancer had returned.

However, luckily she was given the all clear as Amy ploughed on with her plans to be well enough to return to her beloved Strictly Come Dancing role.

In more uplifting moments, Amy became emotional as she rang the cancer bell in hospital after being given the all clear.

In one particularly emotional moment, the dancer breaks down in tears as she’s fitted with a cold cap ahead of her first chemotherapy session

The star struggles to fight back tears as her mother and the nurses comfort her, with Amy sobbing that she ‘doesn’t want to do this’

Other scenes in the documentary sees the Welsh beauty shaving her head before dancing in the garden, surrounded by love and support from her loved ones

After her initial diagnosis, Amy faced sleepless nights after a second cancer scare in July of last year

In more uplifting moments, Amy became emotional as she rang the cancer bell in hospital after being given the all clear

While the show also touched on her friendship with fellow Strictly star Dianne Buswell, as well as documenting the incredible support network Amy has including her parents, husband and twin sister.

But while Amy had great support from her loved ones and fans, the documentary saw Amy break down in tears while discussing the horrific trolling she received for sharing her breast cancer journey.

The dancer had to contend with brutal remarks from naysayers who branded her a ‘narcissist’ and an ‘attention seeker’ for publicly documenting her cancer.

Amy struggled to control her emotions as she told how tough it was to receive such harsh messages, admitting sometimes she ‘wished she didn’t’ publicly open up to fans.

But while Amy had great support from her loved ones and fans, the documentary saw Amy break down in tears while discussing the horrific trolling she received for sharing her breast cancer journey

The dancer had to contend with brutal remarks from naysayers who branded her a ‘narcissist’ and an ‘attention seeker’ for publicly documenting her cancer

She’s seen in her hospital bed as she shows her cancer nurse a series of messages from trolls, with messages calling her an ‘attention seeker’ for shaving her head in the garden, while some state she should have fought the disease in private.

Defending her, her nurse says that the trolls are probably people who just spend their lives trying to cause others distress, because that’s the kind of people they are.

In her confessional, Amy is seen looking visibly emotional as she reads aloud more of the messages, as she states: ‘There’s been so many times sharing my story where I wished I didn’t.’

She went on: ‘At the time, I already felt like I had everything about me stripped away, my identity…

‘And of course I would have done anything in the world to actually be not dancing in my front garden about to shave my head, but to be dancing with my best friends on Strictly. ‘

She added: ‘I didn’t even know what my outcome was. And for people to be writing messages like that, it already felt hard to even look in the mirror.’

The dancer is currently preparing for the upcoming series of Strictly after she was forced to take a break from the show last year.

Amy has confessed that the thought of losing her job on the BBC dance show was her greatest fear.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?

What is breast cancer?

It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.

Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.

Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.

The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.

What causes breast cancer?

A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.

The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.

If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.

How is breast cancer treated?

Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.

Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.

How successful is treatment?

The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.

The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000

Amy Dowden followers left ‘sobbing’ as she particulars breast most cancers journey

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