Young woman’s shock as she’s diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer at 25

Bianca Hinton was living her dream of working as a videographer and had plans to move to America when her world was turned upside down.

After Christmas she was diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ triple-negative breast cancer when a 2 cm tumor was found.

The fit and healthy 25-year-old from the Gold Coast said her only symptom was a “hard, round lump” on her left breast that “appeared out of nowhere.”

Bianca, who has no family history of the disease, told FEMAIL she first noticed the lump while on a holiday cruise through Papua New Guinea with her family.

“I got out of the shower and was drying off with a towel when I felt it. So I told my mom and she was immediately concerned,” she said.

Now Bianca is on a mission to warn others about the common warning signs and to be diligent with health checks.

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Fortunately, Bianca and her family were at the end of their vacation so she was able to see a doctor within a few days of finding the lump.

‘I took Mum to the GP who did a physical breast exam but didn’t say much – in hindsight he might have known. I had an ultrasound the same day,” she said.

After two biopsies and tests, Bianca was told she had cancer.

“The timing of all this was so awkward because it was between Christmas and New Years. But I stayed positive and assumed I would have surgery to get it sorted out,” she said.

“I wasn’t really worried about it and didn’t feel sick at all. I felt normal.’

On January 9, at a fertility clinic, she received an official diagnosis to confirm the type of cancer.

“It was an intense day. I considered saving some of my eggs, but when I got the results of my PET scan, doctors urged me to start treatment as soon as possible,” she said.

“I decided not to put off chemo because I had to put my life above everything else.

“It’s not impossible to have children after treatment, it just reduces your chances, so there’s still hope.”

Bianca said triple-negative breast cancer is considered life-threatening because it is aggressive and accelerates the rate at which the cancer can grow and spread.

Common symptoms included breast lumps, swelling, breast or nipple pain, dimpling of the skin, and nipple discharge.

Two days after the prognosis, Bianca met with an oncologist to discuss a treatment plan and opt for six months of intensive chemotherapy.

“I’ve been on weekly treatment for 12 weeks and am now on my last phase of high potency dosing,” she said.

Medical research and treatment for this disease has improved, improving survival rates. However, Bianca said early detection is key.

“My follow-up scans that I will do in a few weeks will determine the success and outcome of my diagnosis. However, I feel positive,” she said.

After chemotherapy and testing, she will likely have a double mastectomy to reduce the chance of the cancer returning.

“Everything happened so fast that I haven’t had a chance to think about it. It’s been five months, but it still hasn’t hit me,” she said.

Bianca says the “hardest thing” about the whole ordeal is seeing how the prognosis has affected her loved ones.

“It’s hard to see what this has done to my family, but I’m grateful for their continued support.”

Bianca hopes that sharing her story will impact the lives of others.

“There are no criteria for breast cancer — just because you’re young doesn’t make you invincible,” she said.

“And early detection is everything, so be sure to check yourself regularly.”