She has now opened up about her story as a ‘cautionary tale’ to other women, vowing never to miss her screenings again and to go twice a year.
In a new first-person article, the 63-year-old explained that she wrongly believed that as she became older, there was a reduced likelihood that she would get cancer, stating that ‘ignorance was bliss’.
The interior designer held this inaccurate belief despite her mother – who’s soon turning 87 – having breast cancer when she was the same age, after suffering the death of her father when he was 48.
Kelly used to postpone her mammograms before cancelling them, admitting that she ‘stopped thinking about them altogether’, with the NHS outlining that anyone who is registered with a GP as female is first invited for breast screenings when they’re between 50 and 53, and will be invited every three years until they turn 71.
‘It’s a cautionary tale. I find it hard to write this — it is private, I feel vulnerable — but I feel compelled to tell my story for the sake of other women,’ she stated in her piece written for the Daily Mail.
Last September, Kelly – who was on Dragons’ Den from 2013 to 2015 – finally went for a long-overdue screening, having had no ‘warning signs’ of breast cancer.
The appointment and subsequent screenings led to her being informed that she had DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ), which she was told was the ‘very mildest form of cancer’.
The owner of Kelly Hoppen Interiors underwent a procedure to have the cancer cells from two milk ducts, before having ‘precautionary surgery to remove the tissue around the cancer and ensure it hadn’t spread’.
How should you check your breasts for lumps or irregularities?
Discussing the importance of being breast aware, Addie Mitchell, clinical nurse specialist at Breast Cancer Now, wants women to know there is no right or wrong way to check your breasts.
‘It’s about looking and feeling regularly so any changes can be spotted quickly,’ she said. ‘The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the more effective treatment may be.
‘Whatever your age, being aware of all the signs and symptoms of breast cancer is crucial – it’s not just a lump to look out for. Other changes could be a nipple becoming inverted or a change in texture of the skin.
‘While most symptoms won’t mean breast cancer, if you notice anything unusual for you get it checked out by your GP.
‘Anyone with questions can call Breast Cancer Now’s nurses free on 0808 800 6000 or visit breastcancernow.org.uk.’
‘I had surgery to remove tissue from around the ducts and, although I was in a lot of pain for many weeks after, I felt I was on the home stretch,’ she recalled.
Kelly was told that the cancer hadn’t spread, before later finding out that she didn’t have the BRCA gene, after doing a BRCA gene test to ascertain if she had ‘an inherited tendency for certain cancers’.
The entrepreneur didn’t need to have radiotherapy, and a month ago a check-up confirmed that everything was ‘clear’, with only a 10 to 15% chance of the cancer returning.
‘I’ll deal with it if so, and I have vowed never to skip a mammogram again. I have my next one booked for September and you can be assured that I’ll be there,’ she stated.
Kelly wanted to wait until she was ‘out of the woods’ before sharing her story, as she urged other women not to miss their mammogram screenings.
She added that the scar on her right breast provides a daily reminder of what could have happened if she’d continue to not go for her screening, sharing: ‘My own foolishness will stay with me.’
What is a mammogram?
Mammograms are typically used as a screening tool to detect any early signs of breast cancer in women who are experiencing no symptoms, but they can also be used to detect and diagnose breast cancer in women who are experiencing symptoms such as a lump, pain and skin dimpling.
During a mammogram, the patient’s breast is placed flat on a support plate and compressed with a parallel plate called a paddle. The x-ray machine produces a small burst of x-rays that will pass through the breast to a detector located on the opposite side.
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