Importance Score: 70 / 100 🔴
A terminally ill mother of two is imploring women to advocate for accurate diagnoses after her breast cancer was only identified after it had extensively spread throughout her body, severely affecting her bones. This tragic case underscores the importance of early detection and persistent self-advocacy in healthcare, especially when facing lesser-known breast cancer symptoms.
Late Diagnosis of Breast Cancer
Kayleigh Walker, 37, from Cardiff, experienced less common signs of breast cancer, including debilitating back and neck discomfort, before doctors conducted the necessary examinations.
As the former educator was expecting at the time, a total of 19 medical professionals who assessed her attributed her issues to the strain of pregnancy.
Despite her reporting ‘intense pain’ that eventually required her to use a wheelchair, doctors suggested she was ‘exaggerating’ her suffering.
Now, a year after her daughter Rosie’s birth, Ms. Walker remains burdened by the incurable condition and overwhelmed with worry over its inevitable progression.
Raising Awareness and Leaving a Legacy
She now aims to increase awareness about critical symptoms that should never be dismissed before her passing and to make her daughters, aged one and five, ‘proud’ in the process. Her story highlights the need for improved diagnostic practices and greater consideration of pregnant women’s health concerns.
‘I just felt ignored. I felt like I was just overlooked because of my pregnancy,’ she stated regarding the agonizing wait for a precise diagnosis.
‘As soon as people heard the word pregnant it was like “oh, there’s nothing really we can do because you’re pregnant.”‘
The Ordeal Leading to Diagnosis
‘But, pregnant women aren’t superheroes, they get ill like everyone else,’ she told The Mirror. ‘It doesn’t mean you’re untouchable.’
The ordeal started early last year, shortly before Ms. Walker became pregnant with her second daughter, when she began experiencing ‘a little bit of neck discomfort.’
Throughout her pregnancy, the discomfort worsened, radiating to her back and arms.
She said: ‘My back started to get really bad. I did flag it up to medical professionals and they kind of shrugged it off as there were lots of changes going on with my body.’
‘I couldn’t lift, bend, or pick things off the floor, or lift up my daughter who was three at the time.
‘I felt like I was just surviving day to day. Even minutes felt like hours,’ she added.
This progressed into severe back pain, muscle spasms, and broken bones, ultimately confining the terminally ill mother to a wheelchair.
Yet, Ms. Walker, who couldn’t take sufficiently strong painkillers due to her pregnancy, was denied an MRI—doctors told her they were only for ‘life or death situations.’
The Progression of the Disease
At this point, the tumors were ‘devastating’ her body.
‘I had a hump at the bottom of my neck, something in my arm, a lump sticking out. All these things felt really alien to me,’ she added.
Then, at 30 weeks pregnant, Ms. Walker discovered a lump in her right breast, a clear indicator of cancer.
She underwent an ultrasound and an MRI, which confirmed breast cancer. She had also suffered a fractured arm, and the vertebrae in her back had collapsed because the disease had metastasized to her bones.
‘My bones were severely affected’, she explained. ‘I had the bones of someone much older and had fractured my arm by lifting a kettle to make a cup of tea.’
‘My heart just sank because I thought yeah, she knows what the matter is with me. It was just that silence where you know they can see something,’ she said.
Ms. Walker was then rushed in for an emergency C-section last August, due to concerns that she would become paralyzed if she carried to term.
The Birth of Rosie and Subsequent Surgery
Her ‘miracle’ daughter, Rosie, was born 10 weeks prematurely, weighing 3lb 1oz.
However, just two days later, the new mother underwent back surgery, which involved implanting six rods and 12 screws into her spine.
She said: ‘As soon as I had that operation, I felt I was fixed.’
‘I wasn’t, because obviously I had this horrendous disease that was killing me, but I knew that that pain had gone.’
The mother of two now wants to do everything she can to make her daughters proud, so that her legacy will endure after she’s gone.
She said: ‘I hope if anything this will make experts take note of a pregnant woman’s needs and encourage pregnant women to have a voice to advocate for themselves.’
‘I want [my daughters] to know I was a resilient mum, that I’m never going to give up even in the face of adversity.’
‘You’ve got to pick yourself up. Life is difficult and I want them to be proud,’ she added.
Advocating for Breast Cancer Awareness
Ms. Walker participated in a fashion show this week to generate funds for Breast Cancer Now, a research and support organization dedicated to ensuring that by 2050, everyone diagnosed with breast cancer survives.
She said: ‘I’ve got an amazing quality of life at the moment. I know one day that will change. It’s a gamble having this disease.
‘But I was in a wheelchair and this is proving you can do good things if you just stay positive and keep hopeful. If I can walk every day to school with my little girl, that’s a win,’ she added.
Kayleigh is among an estimated 61,000 women in the UK living with secondary breast cancer, according to Breast Cancer Now—a figure that has been increasing annually.
Approximately 1,000 individuals in the UK succumb to the disease each month—equivalent to one death every 45 minutes.
Understanding Metastatic Breast Cancer
Survival rates for breast cancer are contingent on the stage at diagnosis. Generally, three out of four women are alive ten years following their diagnosis, with survival rates having doubled in the past half-century.
Most metastatic cancers—those that originate in one area of the body and spread—like Ms. Walker’s, are incurable.
Symptoms vary depending on the affected body part. In Ms. Walker’s case, the cancer impacted her bones, but it commonly spreads to the liver, lungs, and brain.
Other symptoms encompass fatigue, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, general malaise without a clear cause, nausea, vomiting, or sleep disturbances.
Key Facts About Breast Cancer
- Breast cancer remains the most prevalent cancer among women in the UK, responsible for approximately 11,500 deaths annually.
- While the exact causes are not always clear, risk factors include age over 50, dense breast tissue, a history of breast disease, and familial links to breast or ovarian cancer.
- Elevated levels of estrogen, progesterone, or testosterone, often resulting from early menstruation, may also heighten the risk.
Prevention and Early Detection
To facilitate early detection, the NHS advises undergoing breast screenings to mitigate the risk of fatal progression.
Adopting healthier lifestyle choices, such as moderating alcohol consumption, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, and ceasing smoking, can collectively reduce the likelihood of developing breast cancer.
Women are encouraged to regularly examine their breasts for potential warning signs of cancer.
- These include lumps or swelling in the breast, chest, or armpit.
- Changes in the skin of the breast, such as dimpling or redness.
- Alterations in the size or shape of one or both breasts.
- Nipple discharge, especially if bloody.
- Changes in nipple shape or appearance.
- Persistent discomfort in the breast or armpit.
While these symptoms may not always indicate a serious issue, seeking medical advice from a healthcare professional is crucial for anyone experiencing such changes.