‘I’m fortunate I survived stage 4 diagnosis when so many of my friends didn’t make it’

Wanting to share her knowledge, Lynette spoke to other women, joined patient forums, attended BRCA research meetings, met scientists, and began raising money for research.

She has also published her story – described as “remarkable” by oncologists and other cancer survivors – in a book.

As Lynette describes in her book, Unbroken, knowledge is power and talking to other patients encouraged her to have tailored platinum chemotherapy and to come off the drug tamoxifen – which was not suitable for her.

Her personalised treatment plan included PARP inhibitors.

Her story doesn’t finish after breast cancer.

Six months after finishing that treatment the cancer found its way to her brain, and she had two separate craniotomies (brain surgeries).

There were more bumps including sepsis, targeted stereotactic radiotherapy on brain lesions and partial paralysis — but in 2018 a scan revealed she had No Evidence of Active Disease (NEAD) – a status which she has maintained.

“I am in remission and the message I want to spread it is possible to live with cancer,” Lynette said.

For Lynette, there is hope.

“Women are better educated, there are better treatments available so women are no longer invisible – the future is looking better.”

For Prof McIntosh there are also many reasons to be positive.

“I think the combination of earlier diagnosis, personalised treatments and more treatment options being available mean the outcomes are going to continue to improve for our patients over the next few decades and that will transform the outcomes for patients with breast cancer at all stages,” Prof McIntosh said.

He said that data is used in research at Queen’s University Belfast and the Ulster University which affects cancer treatment across the world.

“All cancer research through the NI cancer trials network allows us to deliver clinical trials and clinical studies which looks at new drugs, radiotherapy, chemotherapy in cancer patients and specifically to see what works for what patients. I think it is fair to say that in the past decade NI has made and continues to make a significant and active contribution to cancer research worldwide.”