LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: 'Strictly Come Dancing' star Amy Dowden recently revealed that doctors have found she has "another type of cancer" in addition to her breast cancer diagnosis earlier this year. Dowden reportedly came across a lump while preparing for her honeymoon with husband Ben Jones in April and was diagnosed with aggressive stage three breast cancer in May.
Since her diagnosis, Dowden underwent surgeries, including a mastectomy and also had fertility treatment. However, during an Instagram Live chat with breast cancer survivor and Paralympic gold medalist Erin Kennedy for the charity CoppaFeel! on Friday, July 21, the professional dancer revealed that another cancer was found elsewhere in her body. She shared that doctors found more tumors when she went for an MRI scan and had her mastectomy.
'My pathology wasn't what they were expecting'
Speaking about her cancer battle, Dowden told Kennedy, "For me, my journey, everything changed. I was originally going to have a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. But then, after my MRI, they found another tumour so then it changed into a mastectomy and then, after my mastectomy, unfortunately, they found even more tumours."
She continued, "And my pathology wasn't what they were expecting, and they found another type of cancer and then they told me I needed chemo – for me that was a massive blow." Dowded added, "It wasn't in the plan, originally – and I know the plan you can't get fixated on. So, all of a sudden, then I realised, and you get scared, but the oncologist did say that with chemo I've got a really good chance of a cure."
The dancer said, "I was really scared and I didn't want to do chemo but then seeing someone like yourself (Erin) who's carried on and for me straightaway it was my dancing, like, you can take away my boob but you can't take my dancing away from me and that's what I get really upset about."
'I'm determined to continue in a healthy way'
During the Instagram live, Dowden also revealed that she was hoping to return to 'Strictly Come Dancing' after her mastectomy but the plans will be on hold following her recent diagnosis. "This year it means I'm not going to be able to dance with a celebrity on Strictly but I'm in such regular contact with the team. The BBC have just been utterly incredible. We are just one big family and they're going to be guided by me and there's so many ways to be involved in the show," she said.
"I'm just staying really positive and hopeful that I'm still going to be part of the show in some way and my aim is to continue dancing – the oncologist said to me movement is really, really good for people on chemo, it's important. So that was encouraging," Dowden continued. "And then obviously seeing someone like yourself and the way you've bounced back, it just gives me hope really," she said of Kennedy.
"So I have struggled in accepting that I've gotta have chemo and what comes with it – the hair loss and everything else – but I'm determined to continue in a healthy way as much as I can," the dancer stated. Dowden also took to her Instagram Stories to thank her fans for their support after the revelation of the news. "Just want to thank everyone for their love and support. I'll tackle this next step the best I can and very blessed to have the love and support of my family and friends along with you guys, thank you!" she wrote.
"The rest of the year looked very different to what was planned but hopefully I'll enter 2024 cancer free and I'll never take anything for granted and promise to live life to the full!" Dowden concluded.
