Amy Dowden of Strictly provides a health update following a second cancer diagnosis

Amy Dowden has admitted that she is “not looking forward” to receiving treatment that will leave a scar that is always visible.

The 32-year-old Strictly Come Dancing contestant received her initial stage three breast cancer diagnosis in May and had a single mastectomy to treat it. However, more tumors were discovered after the surgery, and she was informed last month that chemotherapy was required.

The professional dancer most recently shared a hospital photo that she had taken in the bathroom mirror while wearing a medical gown and a face mask.

She scribbled over the image, “Really not looking forward to this.”. Another scar, this one only [an] inch long, but it will serve as a perpetual reminder and be [visible] always.

Dowden also shared a number of photos from the procedure, which included fitting the patient with a chemotherapy port. Dowden explained in the caption that she wanted to record her medical experience in order to “hopefully get others checking and for understanding what we go through. “.

I hadn’t expected it. Not easy… veins in me! Feeling painful, bruised, and sore, but the port will significantly improve over the coming weeks and enable me to dance when I’m feeling well enough,” she said.

In order to receive chemotherapy safely, the patient explained, “a port sits beneath the skin, and a tube runs down my vein to my heart.”. I’m not a doctor, I say.

It comes after Dowden revealed during an Instagram Live interview with breast cancer survivor and paralympian Erin Kennedy, who also has Crohn’s disease, that “everything changed” for her.

“My initial treatment plan included radiotherapy, hormone therapy, and a lumpectomy. But after my MRI, they found a second tumor, necessitating the need for a mastectomy, which, regrettably, was followed by the discovery of yet another tumor.

They found a different type of cancer, which was a huge blow to me, and then they told me I needed chemotherapy. You shouldn’t become fixated on it; it wasn’t originally part of the plan.

You can take away my boob but you can’t take my dancing away from me, and that’s what makes me really upset,” she said, expressing concern that the chemotherapy would prevent her from practicing her dance. “.

After receiving her initial breast cancer diagnosis, Dowden was optimistic that she would be able to take part in Strictly this year. She won’t be able to do so in a competitive capacity though because of her new medication.

Although I won’t be able to partner a famous person on Strictly this year, she continued, “I’m in such regular contact with the team – the BBC have just been utterly incredible. “.

Dowden paid a tearful visit to the dance competition venue last week before her treatment to say goodbye to all of her coworkers.

In an update to her Instagram Story, she claimed that she had surprised her friends on set, writing: “I had happy tears to see them all. I got to catch up with everyone, enjoy some dancing, and discover some intriguing concepts for this series. I’m so happy for you guys because it’s going to be amazing.

Dowden initially disclosed her diagnosis in the hopes that it would raise awareness of Crohn’s, a chronic condition that affects several areas of the digestive system. She is also currently conducting research on the condition.

She acted as the host of the BBC documentary Strictly Amy: Crohn’s and Me, which looked at how the illness affected her.

Dowden is married to Benjamin Jones, a dancer who has been her partner for many years. They got hitched in 2022.