Julia Bradbury gushes about her ‘selfless’ and ‘amazing’ sister Gina’s support during her cancer battle and reveals she offered presenter her fat after her mastectomy

Julia Bradbury has sung the praises of her older sister Gina, revealing that her breast cancer battle brought the siblings closer together.

The TV presenter, 53, was diagnosed with the disease in September 2021 before undergoing a mastectomy to have a 6cm tumour removed.

Throughout the terrifying ordeal, Julia said that Gina was by her side every step of the way, gushing: ‘She has been the most amazing sister.’

She explained that Gina had even offered her some of her fat after Julia had her mastectomy, describing her as a ‘incredibly kind and loving’.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Julia said: ‘Gina is selfless in so many ways. I’m more selfish. I’m not saying I put myself first all the time, but Gina will always offer to help. She offered me her eggs when I was going through IVF to have my twin daughters, for goodness’ sake. My IVF consultant told her, “I’m afraid you’re too old,” but that was typical of Gina.

Sibling love: Julia Bradbury has sung the praises of her older sister Gina, revealing that her breast cancer battle brought the siblings closer together (pictured together in 2016)

Tough time: The TV presenter, 53, was diagnosed with the disease in September 2021 before undergoing a mastectomy to have a 6cm tumour removed

Supportive: Throughout the terrifying ordeal, Julia said that Gina was by her side every step of the way, gushing: ‘She has been the most amazing sister’

‘After I had my mastectomy reconstruction following my breast cancer diagnosis in 2021, I could have had another operation to inject more fat around my breast implant. She offered me her fat, but it wasn’t allowed.’

She went on to say that Gina and her husband Gerard Cunningham, with whom she shares son Zephyr, 12, and twin girls, Xanthe and Zena, eight, had accompanied her to every hospital appointment while she received treatment.

Julia recalled: ‘She was there when I got wheeled in for my mastectomy and she was there when I was wheeled out. She came to the hospital every day. She washed my hair and dried it, and made me healthy banana bread. She has been the most amazing sister.’

The pair have an age difference of 10 years, but Julia described them as ‘the best of friends’ and ‘inseparable’.

She revealed that the pair lived together in London as adults and that Gina was her former agent when her career began and is now her current business partner for their website, The Outdoor Guide.

Gina also spoke to the newspaper, and detailed the shock of Julia’s cancer diagnosis and her desire to take her sister’s place, as the star was a mother of three.

She said: ‘When Julia was diagnosed with cancer it rocked our lives. I remember going to an appointment, waiting in the car. After an hour and a half I rang her and she said, “The consultant has found something.”

‘That was on the Monday. On Friday she was told she had a 6cm tumour. The world stopped. All I kept thinking was, “She has got young children, it should be me.”’

Selfless: She explained that Gina had even offered her some of her fat after Julia had her mastectomy, describing her as a ‘incredibly kind and loving’

Thick as thieves: The pair have an age difference of 10 years, but Julia described them as ‘the best of friends’ and ‘inseparable’

It comes after Julia spoke of her determination to ‘stay alive’ two years on from her diagnosis in August.

Julia revealed how her cancer changed her life, leading her to adopt a much healthier diet and go teetotal as she declares she will do everything possible to see her children grow up.

Speaking to The Times, Julia admitted that guiding her three kids through her diagnosis and surgery was one of the toughest moments of the past two years.

‘When I had that first biopsy, I was like, “I want to see my children grow up. I want to live through GCSEs and A-levels and 21st birthdays and university,”‘ she explained.

‘I want to see them as adults. I just want to stay alive.’

She went on to explain how she didn’t want to video call with her children while in hospital for her mastectomy as ‘I didn’t want them to see me like that. I thought it would be worrying for them.’

‘What’s difficult with young children is explaining cancer to them without petrifying them. I was very aware that I had to be honest.’

The day she left hospital to return home Julia enlisted Gina to do her hair and makeup to help her get her ‘game face’ on to reassure her kids.

She said though that there have been tough moments two years on as one of her daughters recently asked her if her cancer will come back.

Getting emotional, Julia admitted: ‘That was really hard. Cancer has shaped who I am, but it doesn’t define who I am. It profoundly changed my life and the way I think and behave.’

Shaken: Gina also spoke to the newspaper, and detailed the shock of Julia’s cancer diagnosis and her desire to take her sister’s place, as the star was a mother of three (pictured in 2022)

Resolute: It comes after Julia spoke of her determination to ‘stay alive’ two years on from her diagnosis in August

Lifestyle change: Julia revealed how her cancer changed her life, leading her to adopt a much healthier diet and go teetotal as she declares she will do everything possible to see her children grow up (pictured last month)

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?

What is breast cancer?

It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.

When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.

Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.

Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.

The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.

What causes breast cancer?

A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.

Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.

What are the symptoms of breast cancer?

The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.

The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.

If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.

How is breast cancer treated?

Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.

Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.

How successful is treatment?

The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.

The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.

For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000

Source

Content source – www.soundhealthandlastingwealth.com

Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year

Leave a Reply Cancel reply