Most women would do anything to be rid of breast cancer, but British actress Sally Farmiloe-Neville has refused a mastectomy because she can’t bear to lose her “best assets”.
Sally, 57, — who starred opposite Bob Dylan in 1987 filmHearts on Fire— was diagnosed with a particularly aggressive form of breast cancer in May.
She was told a mastectomy was the best way to treat the life-threatening disease, but asked for a lumpectomy instead because she feels her breasts are a “vital” part of her personality.
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Sally has written about her choice in new bookMy Left Boob: A Cancer Diary, defending her decision to try to save her breasts.
“Although I am anxious to be rid of it, I do not want to lose a breast along with the malign tumour,” Sally writes.
“I cannot bear the thought of a mastectomy because my bosom is so vital a part of my personality that to forfeit half of it would be to relinquish part of my very being.
“At a 36B cup, I’m not particularly well-endowed; neither are my breasts perfect, but I’ve grown terribly fond of them over the years.
“A mastectomy, I believe, would have compromised my femininity, jeopardised my career and turned me into a woman remote from the fun and flirtatious one that I am.”
Sally goes on to accuse doctors of being too quick to encourage mastectomies, claiming lumpectomies and radiation treatment can be just as effective.
She says she felt “bullied” into a mastectomy, and thinks doctors should make breast cancer sufferers aware of all the treatment options available to them.
“There are a multitude of good reasons why ‘Off with her breast!’ should not be the battle-cry of doctors faced with women who have cancerous tumours,” she says.
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“Lumpectomies are cheaper, less invasive and far quicker to recover from. I hope, and intend, to be back to work swiftly after mine.
“There are glamorous dresses to model, black-tie balls to attend, red carpets to teeter along — and I have drawers crammed with lacy lingerie which must not be allowed to languish unworn.
“I intend to turn heads. I’ll wear a lavish dress cut daringly low, hold aloft a glass of champagne and toast the health of my loved ones — including, of course, the imperfect but cherished pair of breasts I hold so dear.”
Sally does admit she would have a mastectomy if there were no other options and it should be noted that in many cases, mastectomies get the best outcomes for breast cancer patients.
Your say: Would you have a mastectomy if you had breast cancer, or would you prefer to seek less invasive treatment?
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