Q&A with Breast Cancer Survivor, Gemma Corby

As part of our goal to spread awareness and education around breast cancer, we met with Gemma Corby, a breast cancer survivor, writer, mom of 2, and contributor to Athelo Health, to learn more about her experience with breast cancer. 

Can you tell me about your breast cancer journey to date? When were you first diagnosed? How did you find out?

I was first diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer (TNBC)  in March of 2019 when I was 35 years old. I had noticed a lump developing in my left breast for some months. I mentioned it to 3 medical professionals over that period, but as I was breastfeeding my 5 month old baby at the time it was dismissed as a blocked milk duct. I was told to massage it and use hot compresses.

The lump kept growing however, so eventually my OBGYN sent me for an ultrasound on what he thought was a “cyst.” The doctor that did the ultrasound went quiet, and had me come back a few days later for a mammogram and biopsy. 10 days later I was diagnosed with high grade TNBC.

There is no targeted follow on treatment for TNBC, something that we so desperately need. So, after having the “first line” treatment (chemo, surgery and radiotherapy) you are sent away to hope and pray. I was fortunate to spend 4 and a half years in remission after my first diagnosis. I even went on to have another baby 2 years after treatment.

Then in October of 2023, when I had just turned 40, the cancer reared its ugly head again. Thankfully, it is localized to the scar bed of the lumpectomy.

How did you react to your diagnosis?

Both of my diagnoses showed me a fear, shock and devastation the likes of which I have never experienced before. I was, and still am, scared for my life. Mostly I am terrified of my children losing their Mom.

The first time was a complete shock. I was young, had just had a baby and have no breast cancer in my family. It was not on my radar at all. The second time around I experienced a deep depression. I knew what was coming and that treatment was going to dominate my life for a long time.

That said, with time my diagnosis and recurrence also brought out a strength and determination in me that I had no idea I possessed.

How did you choose to share the news with your loved ones and how did they react?

When I got the news of my initial diagnosis my husband was at work and I was home alone with our baby. My OBGYN called to give me the results of the biopsy as he knew I was waiting anxiously. I live in France and my family are all in the UK. So I video called my parents and broke the news to them while I waited for my husband to come home.

My Mom, usually very chatty, went quiet. My Dad, completely silent. We all just sat there in horror, processing the information. When you are first diagnosed you have absolutely no idea what you are dealing with. You don’t know your stage or treatment. The uncertainty is completely terrifying. You and those around you can’t help but imagine the worst.

When my husband got home I broke the news to him and we stood hugging tightly for a long time. He is an optimistic person by nature, but I could see the worry etched on his face.

My siblings, in-laws and friends were lost for words, but there were plenty of tears. A diagnosis of cancer lands on a person like a bomb, and it takes down everyone around them.

What were your next steps after the initial diagnosis? 

After each of my diagnoses, the first step was a pet scan for staging. Thankfully, both times it showed that the cancer was localized to my breast. Then began treatment. As there are no targeted treatments for triple negative cancer, chemotherapy is nearly always on the cards. I would also, of course, be having surgery, and radiotherapy. The question was, what order in which to do it. 

At the time of my initial diagnosis, my tumor was pretty large, at 5cm. So, my medical team decided that I would have chemotherapy first (neoadjuvant). My protocol was 4 AC followed by 12 Taxol. During this time, I also underwent genetic testing which showed I have none of the known gene mutations that cause a predisposition to breast cancer.

My tumor responded really well to chemo so my oncologist recommended I have a lumpectomy and complete lymph node clearance afterwards. I questioned it, and got second and third opinions on whether or not I should instead have a mastectomy. But all 3 said the same thing, the research shows that the chance of recurrence is about the same for a lumpectomy and radiotherapy vs a mastectomy. So I went ahead with what they advised.

Next up after I was healed from surgery was radiotherapy, 30 protons followed by 5 boosts, and 6 months of oral chemotherapy (Xeloda) to finish up. In total 1 year of treatment.

The treatment plan for my recurrence has been slightly different. This time I had a single mastectomy with reconstruction, followed by 3 EC and 12 Taxol chemo infusions. I am currently 3 infusions of Taxol in and in theory, when it is finished that will be the end of treatment. I don’t need radiotherapy this time as I had a total mastectomy, and there are no lymph nodes under my arm because they were removed the first time around.

What symptoms did you experience?

I had no symptoms either time, except for a lump in my breast that was growing. Looking back I was perhaps more tired and run down than usual. But as I have babies and young children it’s hard to pin that exclusively on the cancer!

What kinds of things did you do to distract yourself when you were going through treatments?

My therapies during treatment are without a doubt walking and writing. I walk in the peaceful countryside for at least an hour every day (except those that I am too sick) with my dog. I pace it as fast as I can manage. I find walking keeps me physically strong without having to over exert myself, and releases those SO needed feel good hormones.

I am a writer by trade, and during my first lot of treatment turned my attention to writing about breast cancer. I wrote and published my book, “Growing,” which documents my journey with breast cancer, and losing my son 6 months prior to my diagnosis. It was so therapeutic that I then went on to start my blog www.mummingaftercancer.com as a way to reach out to and validate others experiencing the same thing.

What advice would you have for other women who have been recently diagnosed with breast cancer?

My advice to anyone recently diagnosed is to keep moving. Physically and mentally. It’s OK to feel all of the inevitable negative thoughts and emotions that come with your diagnosis. In fact it’s imperative and healthy that you acknowledge those emotions. But don’t sit in them for too long. Keep imagining yourself in the future. Think about what life will look like after treatment and plan things to focus on and look forward to. Maybe that's a trip, a new hobby, a small business venture. Whatever makes you smile.

During chemo, eat well, but don’t stress about eating healthy foods when you can’t stomach them. Eat whatever sounds good. You can always focus more on healthy eating when you are feeling better. Drink tons of water to help flush it through your digestive system and exercise whenever you can.