Sarah Beeny has revealed that her double mastectomy went wrong the first time round and she had to have ‘everything redone’ just six months later after her implants had ‘hardened and reacted badly’.Â
The presenter, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2022 and underwent gruelling chemotherapy, as well as a double mastectomy, before receiving the all-clear in 2023.
Now, in a new interview with Bella Magazine, Sarah has discussed how her first surgery didn’t quite go to plan.Â
When asked if her double mastectomy affected her body image, she said: ‘The first surgery went wrong, so I had to have everything redone six months later – the implants hardened and reacted badly.Â
She continued: ‘But I still feel lucky. My mum went through cancer 40 years ago, when the surgery was far more drastic.Â
‘I have the PALB2 gene, so I had bilateral surgery, and my ovaries removed. But I was 50 with four children, so it didn’t disrupt my life in the way it would have if I’d been younger.’Â
Sarah Beeny has revealed that her double mastectomy went wrong the first time round and she had to have ‘everything redone’ just six months later after her implants had ‘hardened and reacted badly’ (pictured in January)
The presenter, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer in August 2022 and underwent gruelling chemotherapy, as well as a double mastectomy, before receiving the all-clear in 2023 (pictured)
The Property Ladder presenter’s mother had breast cancer, the same as she did, but hers spread to her brain, and she died when Sarah was just 10 years old. Sarah’s stepmother also died from a brain tumour.Â
And earlier this year, Sarah revealed on BBC Breakfast that she is now a patron of Brain Tumour Research – and is calling for more research.
She said: ‘I’m very lucky, I had a very fortunate diagnosis. I’m fortunate that people like my mother, who died when I was 10, died, and they did the research.Â
‘She won’t see her grandchildren, but she died so I can see mine.’
Sarah added: ‘I would like to see the amount of resources and efforts put towards finding a cure for brain tumour as has been done for breast cancer.Â
‘I’m not saying it’s always a good story, but it’s a lot better than it was 30 years ago.’
Sarah was given the all clear in April 2023, and in June 2024, she released her documentary Sarah Beeny vs. Cancer, which detailed her cancer journey, including her double mastectomy.Â
She then underwent gene testing to determine her family’s risk of developing cancer after her own battle with the disease.
Now, in a new interview with Bella Magazine, Sarah has discussed how her first surgery didn’t quite go to plan
When asked if her double mastectomy affected her body image, she said: ‘The first surgery went wrong, so I had to have everything redone six months later – the implants hardened and reacted badly’ (pictured in October)
In an interview, Sarah discussed how she discovered she had a gene mutation which made her more likely to get the disease.Â
The results of the tests solidified Sarah’s decision to get a double mastectomy rather than a single one, as the gene meant she had a 50/50 chance of getting cancer again in the future in the breast that wasn’t already affected.Â
It also meant there is a 50/50 chance she will pass the gene on to her children, sons Billy, Charlie, Rafferty and Laurie.
Sarah discovered that while she was negative for BRCA1 and BRCA2, she tested positive for PALB2, which could have wider implications for her children and potential future grandchildren.Â
After the results of the test, some of the star’s family members decided to also get tested.Â
Her brother Diccon tested negative, but her four sons are yet to get tested, while she also passed the information on to her auntie and cousins.
Sarah explained: ‘I gave them the control, it’s up to them what they do with it. It’s a very personal decision. I like the control, others may not want to know.’Â
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. Each 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 strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates 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.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters 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.Â
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- 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 confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 71 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000
