Amy Dowden leaves fans in tears as she confirms she’s halfway through breast cancer chemo after returning to Strictly Come Dancing for first TV appearance since shaving her head
Amy Dowden left fans in tears as she confirmed on Saturday that she is halfway through chemotherapy for breast cancer.
In her first TV appearance since shaving her head, the professional dancer returned to Strictly Come Dancing to support her fellow contestants.
Amy recently revealed that she shaved off her hair after losing a large chunk of her locks during the grueling treatment.
Starring on the BBC show, she dazzled in a white dress with silver sequins as she joined host Claudia Winkleman and the contestants in the studio.
Amy, WHO was may have been diagnosed with breast canceris right now, she can’t compete with her celebrity partner due to her health battles.
She’s back! Amy Dowden left fans in tears as she confirmed on Saturday that she is halfway through chemotherapy for breast cancer
All smiles: In her first TV appearance since shaving her head, the professional dancer returned to Strictly Come Dancing to support her colleagues
Fans of the show shared their thoughts on X, formerly known as Twitter, with one person admitting they shed a tear at her triumphant return.
They posted: “I just burst into tears when Amy Dowden appeared on my screen. Let’s keep fighting!’
Another added: “Amy Dowden’s decision not to wear a wig on #Strictly tonight just showed every little girl going through chemo that bald is beautiful.” What a role model.’
‘Hands up who loves Amy Dowden? And hands up who cried when she read the Terms and Conditions,” wrote a third viewer.
Someone else shared: “Absolutely lovely to see the beautiful Amy Dowden tonight. What a splendid young lady.’
On Friday, the star revealed that she bought two wigs after shaving her head, and it helped her regain her confidence.
It comes after Amy underwent a mastectomy in June before doctors revealed she was also battling another form of cancer and would need further treatment.
Although she can’t take part in Strictly this year in her usual role, the dancer expressed the incredible support she’s had from her family on the BBC dance show.
Brave: Amy, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, recently decided to take control as she shaved off her hair during chemotherapy
Stunning: Starring on the show, she dazzled in a white dress with silver sequins as she joined host Claudia Winkleman and contestants in the studio
Showing her support: Amy shared a snap of herself in her tiger make-up back in 2019 for her samba performance with partner Karim Zeroual as she reflected on Film Night
Supporting the show ahead of film week, the star took to Instagram to share a snap of Amy in her 2019 tiger make-up for her samba performance with her partner Karim Zeroual.
She captioned the clip: “Love film week on Strictly! Who’s excited?’
It comes after Amy revealed she would cry herself to sleep at night as she watched her hair fall onto her pillow in her fight against cancer.
The TV favorite revealed why she decided to shave her head as she told The mirror: “One morning I woke up with a lot of it on my pillow, then I brushed it and a lot of it came out.
“I was traumatized, I cried, I would only brush my hair once a day, but I would be afraid of that brush.” My husband would brush it for me so I wouldn’t see.’
“Then it started going from above.” Ben would hear me cry most nights and come over to comfort me. It upset him too. He hated being brushed.
“I would be afraid to wake up in the morning, to see what is on the pillow.” It would be in your mouth, leaving a mark, it was so disturbing. So I saved myself the heartache and took control.’
Amy recently shared a heartbreaking video of herself getting her hair shaved off by loved ones.
The Strictly star broke down in tears before embracing the brave step she took while looking in the mirror.
Amy says that although it was difficult, it was empowering to take control and is now looking forward to her hair growing back and not hurting from the loss.
With Strictly starting at the end of last month, it was particularly difficult for Amy to watch.
Amy says she cried when she saw the professional dancers lead their celebrities down the stairs in the first show.
And while dance is a huge part of her life, Amy says her current health has prevented her from moving the way she used to.
She says she saw her body change and gained weight as a side effect of the treatment.
“I miss everything,” Amy says.
It comes after Amy revealed she almost died from the side effects of chemotherapy in her fight against breast cancer.
Amazing: Fans of the show shared their thoughts on X, formerly known as Twitter, with one person admitting to shedding a tear at her triumphant return
The Welsh professional dancer had a terrifying near-death experience after her first and second rounds of chemotherapy, being rushed to hospital with sepsis and then blood clots.
He is now on blood thinners for six months after the ‘terrifying’ experience.
Amy also shared how she initially wanted to refuse chemotherapy because it would be ‘Strictly, her hair and her life gone’, but she was eventually convinced to do it.
Amy underwent IVF to create and freeze embryos before starting treatment in the hope of having children with her husband Ben Jones in the future.
A friend told her that there was no point in freezing her embryos, because without chemotherapy she ‘wouldn’t be around to have these babies anyway’.
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. Every 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 affects 266,000 and kills 40,000 each year. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancer cell that develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When breast cancer spreads to surrounding tissue, it is called “invasive.” Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown outside the ducts or lobules.
Most cases develop in people over 50, but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, although this is rare.
Staging shows 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.
Cancer cells are graded from low, which means slow growth, to high, which means fast growth. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they are first treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumor starts from a single abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. Something is thought to damage or change 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 breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this happens, you will experience a swelling or lump in your armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: The doctor examines the chest and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of breast tissue that can indicate the possibility of a tumor.
- 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 diagnosed with breast cancer, additional tests may be needed to assess whether it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound examination of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. A combination of two or more of these treatments is often used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumor.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment that uses high-energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills the cancer cells, or prevents them from multiplying. It is mainly used with surgery.
- Chemotherapy: Treatment of cancer using anticancer drugs that kill cancer cells or prevent them from multiplying.
- Hormonal treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone estrogen, which can stimulate cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that reduce the level of these hormones or prevent them from working are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is the treatment?
The outlook is best for those diagnosed when the cancer is still small and has not spread. Surgical removal of the tumor at an early stage can then give a good chance of a cure.
Routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 means more breast cancers are diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernov.org or call the free helpline on 0808 800 6000