Doctors told Larissa the lump she found while breastfeeding was mastitis. Two months later she started chemo.

“You have mastitis? How are you feeling? Do you have a fever? Does it feel like the flu?” Larissa recalls the reactions from her friends when the (then) 38-year-old told them she was on antibiotics for mastitis after noticing a hard lump in her breast while breastfeeding her eight-month-old baby, William, in October 2020. 

“I’m ok. Just tired.” 

“Oh, that’s tough. How is he sleeping? How does Henry like being a big brother?”, were the typical responses. All very normal catch-up conversations. But after a round of antibiotics, the lump hadn’t gone away. Larissa noticed William was becoming very fussy when he was feeding on her left side.

“I went back to the doctor who prescribed me a second round of antibiotics, but nothing changed. I started to get a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach. It just didn’t feel right.”

Watch Camilla Franks’ message to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF). Post continues below.

Larissa, who is a Health and Safety Manager in Brisbane, wanted answers, and asked to be referred to a breast specialist. An ultrasound supported the mastitis diagnosis, but she still wanted to know what was causing the lump that wouldn’t go away. She pushed for a biopsy, and it was lucky she did. 

A few days later, on 23 December 2020 as her family was preparing to celebrate Christmas, Larissa was diagnosed with HER2-positive (human epithelial growth factor receptor 2) breast cancer. The lump Larissa had been feeling was a tumour seven centimetres in diameter, and a second tumour was found in the same breast. 

According to this Medical News Today article, breastfeeding women account for 3 per cent of breast cancer cases.

“The thing that made it hard initially was that my symptoms were very common for women with young babies. Many women get mastitis. Our breasts can get lumpy from time to time. We are all so exhausted from the sleep deprivation, our jobs, household responsibilities and other children. Mothers are tired! But in my case, it was a lot more than that,” Larissa said.

Sydney-based Radiation Oncologist Dr Georgia Harris said gestational cancer is the name given to breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy, the first-year postpartum, or any time during breastfeeding. 

Georgia said one of the challenges posed by gestational breast cancer is that often the symptoms mimic the normal breast changes that happen during pregnancy and breastfeeding. She said this can be problematic because it may lead to delays in diagnosis and “we know the earlier breast cancer is identified and treatment is started, the better the outcome”. 

“Sadly, we do see young women being treated for breast cancer. They are often right in the thick of caring for young children – a time when women typically are focusing on everyone else but themselves. We all need to pay attention to any changes in our bodies. As many as one in seven women can experience breast cancer at some stage of their lives. While it can be scary, what is promising is the amazing treatment we have available in Australia, and the success rates of treatment if we catch it early,” Georgia said.

According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF), around 15-20 per cent of all breast cancer cases are HER2-positive. This is when “breast cancer cells produce excessive amounts of the HER2 protein, which promotes the growth of this type of breast cancer”. The NBCF website also states HER2 positive cancers generally spread faster than other breast cancers. 

“Fortunately, over the past few years there have been dramatic advances in HER2-directed therapies, resulting in better outcomes for patients with HER2-positive cancer compared to previous decades,” Georgia said.

For Larissa, there was a lot to take in very quickly. 

First the diagnosis, then weaning baby William off the breast. Over Christmas and Boxing Day 2020, Larissa started sleep training so William could self-settle without her, and she had to gently help four-year-old Henry understand what was happening. Along with her husband, Larissa then had to prepare her house for Chemotherapy.

“There are so many things you don’t think of. I couldn’t share sheets or towels and had to clean the bathroom and toilet regularly as the Chemo made me toxic. My hair fell out very quickly. But I had so many incredible women around me. A friend shaved my head for me. People were dropping meals and games for the kids or even taking the boys for play dates so I could rest. An amazing friend drove me to every single Chemo appointment. In many ways this experience has made me so grateful for what I have,” she said. 

Treatment was gruelling. Larissa fought an amazing battle to get well again, undergoing four months of intensive Chemotherapy, a double mastectomy which included removing the lymph nodes under her arm on her left side, a month of radiation, followed by more Chemotherapy. At times she was overwhelmed by how unwell her treatment was making her and her mental health suffered terribly.

“I knew Chemotherapy would make me feel sick. I was not prepared for how it affected me mentally. The process you need to go through to get well again can be so horrid it makes you want to stop. But you can’t stop because you have these little people depending on you, wanting their Mum back. I had to keep going.” 

At one stage during her treatment, Larissa, who had never experienced mental health issues in the past, was admitted to the hospital with extreme anxiety and depression. 

“My amazing team did everything they could to get me to the end of my radiation,” she said. 

Larissa finally finished her treatment in February 2022, but it had taken its toll on her both mentally and physically. She was seeing a trauma counsellor and was focused on rebuilding her life, being with her family and returning to work. She started an Instagram page @aftercancermum and signed up for the Mater Foundation’s International Women’s Day Fun Run to raise funds for cancer research. She was inspiring others to get their breasts checked regularly.

“I knew there was a risk the cancer would come back. I had been told 20 per cent of women with HER2 breast cancer have a reoccurrence in their brain. But I was happily living my life and planning on worrying about that if, or when it happened.”

Then in February 2023, Larissa started to experience intense headaches, which an MRI a few weeks later confirmed were being caused by a brain tumour. Larissa had urgent brain surgery to remove it the following day, with very little time to prepare for the procedure. 

“It all happened so fast. The hospital wasn’t even ready when I arrived the following morning at 7:30am. The staff were wonderful, but they had no idea who I was. Luckily my Neurosurgeon knew what I was there for!”

The surgery was a success and Larissa has since completed another round of intensive radiation. Currently her PET (positron emission tomography) scans are clear, but she now requires scans every three months to ensure the cancer doesn’t come back again. 

Listen to Mary Coustas talk about becoming a mum at 49 on No Filter. Post continues below.

“Coming out of brain surgery I felt enormous relief when the relentless headaches I had experienced for weeks were instantly gone. I felt so thankful that I was myself, my brain was working as normal, I could talk, walk, think, and laugh. I felt determined.”

Considering it all, Larissa remains amazingly positive and happy. Her priority is staying well for Henry, William, and her husband Adrian. Over Easter, her friends started a GoFundMe page to help with the financial strain caused by ongoing medical bills, a nanny for William and Larissa having to step away from work to recover, which has already raised almost $17,000. In addition to following all her Oncologist’s treatment plans, Larissa is completely overhauling her lifestyle, exercise habits and diet to improve her overall health. 

“I will absolutely follow traditional treatment methods. Those treatments saved my life. But in addition, I am prepared to make significant lifestyle changes too if it can help.”

Larissa is adamant we all need to be advocates for our own health. 

“Women need to push. Don’t always take a doctor’s first diagnosis as the final answer. We need to look out for ourselves. Pay attention to our bodies. Get second or third opinions. Ask what other tests can be done. I tell everyone the most important thing is to listen to our bodies when they are trying to tell us something. If you feel a lump that won’t go away, get it checked and keep getting it checked until you really know what it is.” 

Image: Supplied + Mamamia.

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