Amy Dowden has revealed that she’s been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 32.
Amy is best known for being one of the talented professional dancers on Strictly Come Dancing, where she’s been partnered up with celebrities such as Tom Fletcher, Karim Zeroual and, most recently, EastEnders favourite James Bye.
Amy, who hails from Wales, shared the devastating news of her cancer diagnosis on Instagram.
In a message shared on Wednesday morning, she wrote: "Hey all, I've got some news to share which isn't easy. I've recently been diagnosed with breast cancer but I'm determined to get back on that dance floor before you know it."
She signed off the post: "Welsh love, Amy x."
Amy also detailed her diagnosis in an interview with Hello! magazine. The dancer explained how taking part in a charity trek for CoppaFeel last June actually led to her receiving her own diagnosis.
Before the trek, Amy did not check her breasts but the day before she flew off on her belated honeymoon with husband Ben Jones earlier this year, she felt a hard lump in her right breast.
After monitoring the lump for a couple of weeks, Amy noticed it seemed to have grown and called her GP.
She was then given an emergency referral within a day, where doctors told her "it was looking very suspicious and to prepare for the worst, hope for the best" before a biopsy.
Amy received her diagnosis of grade three breast cancer just last week.
She told Hello!: "Three is the most aggressive, but they feel like they've caught mine early and to not be too alarmed because grade 3 would be expected in somebody of my age."
Amy is now waiting to receive a full treatment plan, but knows it will definitely include surgery.
She added: "I don't know what stage the cancer is yet, until I have an MRI scan and a biopsy on a second lump they have found in the same breast. Once they’ve got that, they can give me a full prognosis."
Her recent diagnosis isn’t the only health woe Amy has faced as the star also has Crohn’s Disease, something she’s spoken openly about over the years.
Crohn’s, which affects the digestive tract and often causes irritable bowel syndrome in its sufferers, is a chronic illness for many.
Last year the star faced two hospital dashes in the space of two months as a result of her condition.
While Crohn’s can seriously affect a person’s day-to-day life, Amy has praised her job on Strictly as a “saviour”.
Speaking to us in 2021, the star said: “Crohn’s is a chronic condition which affects my digestive system and causes indescribable pain. I’ve had it since childhood and I’ve had to accept there is no cure. Dancing has pulled me through, but it’s a battle. I live in fear that what I love the most could be taken away."
She continued: "Everybody suffers differently – I suffer with severe constipation, sickness and pain. The pain can be that bad it makes me pass out. Many sufferers end up having surgery but until now I’ve managed my symptoms with supplements and a strict diet.”
Speaking about Strictly, Amy added: “Strictly is more than just a dance show to me, it’s got me through the darkest times in my illness. For me, it’s a big inspiration to keep me dancing, it’s what I always work towards."
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