Strictly’s Amy Dowden reveals she’s undergoing a second mastectomy this week amid breast cancer battle

Strictly’s Amy Dowden has revealed she will undergo a second mastectomy this week amid her battle with breast cancer.

Professional dancer, 35, She was diagnosed with the disease in May 2023 and underwent treatment including mastectomy, chemotherapy, fertility treatment, and nearly died from sepsis.

In February 2024, he announced that doctors had found no evidence of the disease in his system, but officially it wouldn’t be all clear for five years and he would still need treatment.

The dancer, who was eliminated with this year’s Strictly winner Thomas Skinner, revealed she is now ready for a second mastectomy in a post she shared on Instagram on Monday.

He wrote: ‘As you all know, I have always been very open about my health and the care I receive. So I want to start by explaining that what I am about to share is not about treating a new cancer diagnosis.

‘But after a recent appointment with my incredible medical team we decided to have another mastectomy this week. They are confident that if all goes well, I can expect an easy recovery.’

In a post on Instagram on Monday, the dancer, who was knocked out of this year’s Strictly title with Thomas Skinner (pictured), revealed she was now ready for a second mastectomy.

She explained: ‘Following a recent appointment with my incredible medical team, we decided to have another mastectomy… I can expect a speedy recovery.’

Amy concluded: ‘I’m looking forward to rejoining my Strictly family once I’ve recovered.

‘Of course I’ll miss not being there but I’ll be watching from home and looking forward to cheering on everyone. Thank you always for your support. Welsh people love Amy xxx’.

As part of her ongoing cancer treatment, Amy visits her local oncology ward every month to receive injections and be monitored.

Amy last month She opened up about the deep sadness she feels for ‘disappointing’ cancer patients after she and her famous partner, the Apprentice star thomasthey were the first from this series to be voted out.

‘I’m very sad to be left out of the competition because I really wanted to represent cancer survivors and I feel like I let them down,’ she said at the Women of the Year Awards, held at the Royal Lancaster hotel in London.

‘I wanted Thomas to go far, but selfishly I wanted to do it for the cancer community. From the moment I was diagnosed I went back, got taken out, came back again and finished last.’

Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, less than a year after she and fellow dancer Benjamin Jones got married.

All was well for him early last year, but his first return to Strictly, where he partnered JLS singer JB Gill, was cut short after just six weeks due to a foot injury.

‘I just wanted to show you what you can do in life after cancer,’ he said.

‘But I keep telling myself that coming back to Strictly and hitting the dance floor will show women and men that there is life after a cancer diagnosis.’

As part of her ongoing cancer treatment, Amy visits her local oncology ward every month to receive injections and be monitored.

When Amy was eliminated from the race last month, she thanked Thomas for helping her regain her confidence amid her health issues.

He shared: ‘I got to know the real Tom and he’s so sweet. He took care of me. We laughed so much.

‘We’ve worked hard and a glitterball would be great but what I’ve learned over the last few years is that happiness, health and being alive are more important than anything else.

‘I made a new friend for life and I wouldn’t change a thing. There’s a Ballroom kid in there, so I feel a little sad that he can’t go to the Ballroom, but as you know, the last three years have been pretty tough for me.

‘I lost all my confidence as a dancer – but walking into the room with you with a big smile and a laugh, you brought me back and honestly thank you.’

Asked by Tess Daly about their time on the show, Thomas added: ‘I loved it. I’ve never danced before and it was only a short time but Amy is amazing.

‘It was great fun and I enjoyed it. I can’t dance that well but I had so much fun!

‘Thanks Amy – we’re sorry we didn’t do a very good job, because you’re from a different class.’

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, affecting more than two million women annually.

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. More than 55,000 new cases occur in the UK each year and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. It strikes 266,000 people and kills 40,000 each year in the United States. So what causes this and how can it be treated?

What is breast cancer?

It comes from a cancerous cell that develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When breast cancer spreads into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells grow beyond the duct or lobule.

Most cases develop over the age of 50, but sometimes younger women can be affected. Although rare, breast cancer can also develop in men.

Staging shows how large 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.

Cancerous cells are graded from low (i.e. slow growth) to high (rapid growth). Higher-grade cancers are more likely to come back after initial treatment.

What causes breast cancer?

A cancerous tumor starts from an abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or changes certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and proliferates ‘out of control’.

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors, such as genetics, that can increase the chances.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

Although most are noncancerous and are benign fluid-filled cysts, the usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast.

The first place breast cancer usually spreads is the lymph nodes under the armpit. In such a case, a swelling or lump will occur in your armpit.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

• Initial evaluation: The doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may perform tests that may indicate the possibility of a tumor, such as a mammogram, a special X-ray of the breast tissue.
• Biopsy: A biopsy is the removal of a small sample of tissue 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 confirmed to have breast cancer, more tests may be needed to evaluate whether it has spread. For example, blood tests, ultrasound scan of the liver or chest x-ray.

How is breast cancer treated?

Treatment options that may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone therapy. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments is used.

• Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or removal of the affected breast, depending on the size of the tumor.
• Radiotherapy: It is a treatment that uses high-energy radiation beams focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used as an adjunct to surgery.
• Chemotherapy: Cancer treatment using anti-cancer drugs that kill cancer cells or prevent them from multiplying.
• Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can encourage cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments that reduce the level of these hormones or prevent them from working are widely used in breast cancer patients.

How successful is the treatment?

The outlook is best for people diagnosed when the cancer is still small and has not spread. Surgical removal of the tumor at an early stage may give a good chance of cure later.

Routine mammography offered to women aged 50-71 means more breast cancers are diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

For more information, visit breastcancernow.org or call the free helpline on 0808 800 6000.