Aussie who battled breast cancer twice has a moving message for Kylie Minogue: 'You are not alone'

When Kylie Minogue first announced in May 2005 that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer at 36, the news caused shockwaves around the world.

But soon after the news became public, health experts noticed something else: the so-called 'Kylie effect' that saw more women schedule breast screening appointments.

Fast forward to today and the revelation Minogue had a second secret battle with breast cancer in 2021, which she disclosed this week, is expected to again raise awareness of the disease, which claims the lives of nine Australian women every day.

While Minogue is one of the lucky ones – she says she made a full recovery after her latest bout following treatment – she is far from alone.

In fact, 20,000 Australian women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. That's 56 new cases every day. Some will undergo treatment, ranging from surgery to chemotherapy and radiotherapy before getting the all-clear. 

Others will not be so lucky, with 20,000 Australian women living with metastatic breast cancer.

Then there are those, like Minogue, for whom lightning strikes twice: Struck down by two primary breast cancer diagnoses, often decades apart.

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Dr Nick Zdenkowski is a Newcastle-based breast cancer oncologist, and the medical adviser to Breast Cancer Trials. 

He told Nine.com.au the risk of developing a second primary breast cancer was about one in 20, or 5 per cent, over 20 years.

A second primary breast cancer can occur in the same breast, or more commonly, the other breast.

"Doctors can usually tell if it's a new cancer, or the original cancer coming back," he said.

"A second primary diagnosis may be a different type of cancer – for example hormone-sensitive in one case and triple negative in another."

On hearing the news of Minogue's second battle with the disease, Natalie Henderson's heart went out to the popstar, having also been diagnosed with breast cancer twice.

"I saw it on the news and I really felt like reaching out to her because it is something I understand and I don't know anyone else who had two diagnoses," Natalie told Nine.com.au this week.

Henderson was just 23 when breast cancer first reared its ugly head. She was living in Sydney and working in her dream job in HR when she noticed a pea-sized lump in her right breast in 2001.

Her sister suggested she see a GP, who subsequently sent her for tests, before she was eventually diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer.

A lumpectomy and biopsy followed before she embarked on chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy.

She then went on a course of Tamoxifen, which plunged her into medical menopause.

She was celebrating the end of radiotherapy in 2002 when she met her now-husband Ross on a dance floor. They married in 2004 and eventually welcomed three children via IVF, after her previous treatment left her battling infertility.

She was living in Port Macquarie, on the mid north coast, when she noticed a lump in the side of her left breast in 2021.

Tests revealed she had triple-negative breast cancer, the most aggressive and difficult form of the disease to treat.

The diagnosis, which came 19 years after her first, was not related to her earlier cancer.

After chemotherapy, a double mastectomy with a DIEP breast reconstruction, skin grafts and oral chemotherapy, she completed treatment in 2022. 

She is now cancer-free, but lives with the constant fear of another recurrence.

Henderson told Nine.com.au Minogue's comments this week that she couldn't share her 2021 diagnosis at the time because she was "a shell of a person" resonated with her.

"I think there is something quite traumatic about it," she said. 

"It was 19 years for me. It was traumatic. You know what is ahead of you. It is sheer terror.

"I couldn't believe I had to go through this again and also put my family through it."

Henderson said she could not even bring herself to tell her family and friends about her second diagnosis – leaving it to her husband to phone them.

"I could not even talk about it for the first maybe three weeks."

She said she could keenly recall Minogue's first cancer battle and the so-called 'Kylie effect'.

As a very young woman who had battled breast cancer, having the singer as a role model in the years afterwards was helpful.

"She had a real impact, especially in relation to young women," she said.

"Once she was diagnosed, it really raised the profile of young women with breast cancer."

Henderson also had a message for Minogue.

"You are not alone," she said.

"I don't think there are many women who can understand what we have been through. I wish her all the best for the future."

Breast Cancer Trials is one of the world's leading breast cancer research organisations, and is dedicated to finding new and better treatments.

Its chief executive Karen Price said each time a high-profile person revealed a breast cancer diagnosis, it caused people to "stop and think about whether they are overdue for screening, consider their family history or remember a loved one that has passed away".

Price said Minogue's story was a reminder for breast cancer survivors, and others, to be vigilant.

"Keep up regular screenings. If you notice any changes to your breast, talk to your doctor," Price said.

"A lot of progress has been made in breast cancer since Kylie was first diagnosed over 20 years ago."

And while the thought of a recurrence caused fear, Price reassured people that treatments had come a long way.

"There are clinical trials happening all around the world right now, aiming to make the next breakthroughs in treatments that we still need to ensure we continue to improve survival rates," Price said.

This time round, Minogue is once again using her star power to remind people about the importance of routine health checks.

"As part of my routine check-ups in 2021, I was diagnosed with a second primary breast cancer.

"Early detection was very helpful and I am so grateful to be able to say that I am well today.

"I also know there will be someone out there who will benefit from a gentle reminder to do their check-ups."

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