Springfield Lakes police officer and mother of two, Melissa Dickson, is urging women in Greater Springfield to prioritise breast self-examinations after her shocking breast cancer diagnosis just over a year ago.
At 49, Mrs Dickson discovered a marble-sized lump during a self-exam and quickly scheduled an appointment with her GP.
A mammogram, ultrasound, and biopsy revealed she had stage two triple-negative breast cancer—a particularly aggressive form of the disease.
“I am a practical thinker, I was scared, but I thought ‘let’s just wait until we know more,’” Mrs. Dickson said.
Her treatment began with 12 weeks of chemotherapy at the Mater Cancer Care Centre in Springfield, followed by a lumpectomy that included the removal of 34 lymph nodes.
One month later, Mrs. Dickson underwent 25 rounds of radiation therapy.
She is now continuing her recovery with immunotherapy treatment, supported by her medical team at Mater Private Hospital Springfield.
Mrs Dickson credits the swift care she received from breast and endocrine surgeon Dr Susan Bell at Mater Private Hospital Springfield.
Dr Bell, who ensures cancer patients are seen within a week, said the journey through breast cancer can be transformative.
“Women can be much stronger people as breast cancer survivors,” she said.
“I love being part of the team that can have an impact on those patients’ lives for the better.”
As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Mrs Dickson hopes her story will inspire others to be vigilant.
“Breast cancer doesn’t discriminate, so it’s important to know your body,” she said.
Dr. Bell echoed the importance of early detection, noting that breast cancer awareness in Australia is strong, but there’s still work to be done in spreading the message about self-examinations and lifestyle factors that increase the risk of breast cancer.
Women can support breast cancer awareness this October by hosting a Breasties Brunch, with details available on the Breast Cancer Awareness Month website.
