Julia Bradbury has revealed she’s been changed ‘forever’ by her battle with cancer after ‘staring death in the face.’
The presenter, 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, and underwent a masectomy to have a 6cm tumour removed.
Speaking to The Mirror’s Outdoors in Mind podcast, Julia admitted that her diagnosis has led her to question ‘how many days she has left on earth,’ but doesn’t want to let the threat of the disease ‘rule her life.’
She said: ”A cancer diagnosis changes you forever because you do inevitably look death in the eyes, and then start to think about, how many days do I have left on Earth.
‘So, it’s something that you have to work through emotionally constantly, but I don’t let it gnaw away at me. Although I’m aware of its presence in my life, I don’t want it to rule my life and be something I’m constantly worried about.
Candid: Julia Bradbury has revealed she’s been changed ‘forever’ by her battle with cancer after ‘staring death in the face’
‘I think that can be very harmful and have a detrimental impact. I’d rather work on thinking and focusing on the things I do have, not the things that I don’t have, and enjoy every day.’
Julia went onto share that she’s overhauled her diet and lifestyle in the wake of her cancer diagnosis, and seeks solace from outdoor walks.
She went onto recall how she’s frequently found comfort in nature during tough times in her life, including her struggles to fall pregnant while battling with endometriosis in her 30s.
Recalling her decision to take a pregnant test while filming in Iceland, she said the crushing disappointment to learn she wasn’t expecting, was eased by ‘three days of hard hiking.’
Julia recently detailed that how her breast tumour was missed on two mammograms before her cancer diagnosis.
She told how she has dense breast tissue, which means cancerous tumours are more difficult to see on a mammogram, leading to hers being missed during two scans.
Dense breast tissue, calcifications and tumours all appear as white areas in the mammogram, making it harder to differentiate between the two.
Women with dense breast tissue may also have a higher risk of developing breast cancer because there are more cells that may become cancerous, according to the NHS.
Struggles: The presenter was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, and underwent a masectomy to have a 6cm tumour removed
Important: Julia went onto share that she’s overhauled her diet and lifestyle in the wake of her cancer diagnosis, and seeks solace from outdoor walks
Julia shared a picture of her own mammogram to demonstrate the issue doctors were faced with, telling how it was a year before she was diagnosed with cancer.
The TV star was eventually diagnosed with the disease in September 2021 before undergoing a mastectomy to have her 6cm tumour removed.
Sharing snaps of the scan as well as herself getting a mammogram, Julia wrote: ‘Women with dense breast tissue may have a higher risk of developing breast cancer because there are more cells that can become cancerous.
‘I have dense breasts. What does that mean? It means cancerous tumours are more difficult to see on a mammogram.
‘One doctor described it as looking for a snow flake in a snow storm. My tumour was missed on two separate occasions when I went for a mammogram to investigate a lump I could feel in my left breast.
‘It took an ultrasound and an entire year to finally confirm my diagnosis. On #WorldDenseBreastDay, let’s raise awareness about the challenges of dense breasts and emphasise the importance of seeking supplementary screenings.
‘Explore medically-sourced educational resources and know your options. Follow or search #WorldDenseBreastDay to find out more.
‘What are dense breasts? Dense breasts: where a higher proportion of the breasts are made up of glandular tissue and fibrous tissue than fatty tissue.
‘Spread the word and stay informed x.’