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By Lucy Notarantonio
Senior Reporter
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I thought I was in the best shape of my life when I found a soft, mobile, round lump in my armpit while in the shower.
As a doctor who had previously worked in oncology and palliative care, I thought I knew a lot about cancer, so I wasn’t worried.
I assumed the lump was benign because cancerous lumps are usually hard and firm, like a frozen pea. Plus, I didn’t feel ill or tired in any way.
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I was working multiple jobs as a general practitioner, running my own private aesthetics clinic and attending military-style fitness classes.
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I went to the doctor as a routine precaution, and they weren’t worried either. I was referred to a breast clinic as a precaution.
Two weeks later, I had an appointment, and the surgeon didn’t think anything of it. But just to be sure, he advised me to have an ultrasound.
The wait was 90 minutes, and I thought about skipping it. I’m glad I didn’t, because in April 2025, the radiologist said it looked like cancer and that it had already spread.
A few weeks later, I was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) and learned it had spread to my lymph nodes.
The first thing I did was fertility preservation treatment to improve my chances of becoming a mom in the future. The National Health Service (NHS) paid for one round of treatment. They collected 18 eggs, which resulted in six frozen embryos with my partner.
In June, I started chemotherapy and immunotherapy. Shortly after, I had another huge shock when I found out I have a BRCA2 gene mutation. More than 60 percent of women who inherit a harmful change in BRCA1 or BRCA2 will develop breast cancer during their lifetime. By contrast, about 13 percent of women in the general population will develop breast cancer during their lifetime.
There’s also a 50 percent chance my future children will inherit the BRCA2 gene mutation too.
I was supposed to undergo immunotherapy treatment for one year, but because of complications, it was stopped after six months.
In November, I started experiencing joint pain, swelling and difficulty moving.
One day, I was trying to get something out of a drawer when I fell over and couldn't get back up. I had to wait on the floor for my partner to return.
The steroids and chemotherapy ended in November, but the joint pain and inability to move worsened.
Initially, doctors said I must be tired from chemotherapy. The next month, I had a double mastectomy, which allowed me to lie in bed, making the symptoms less noticeable.
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I was supposed to be recovering and gradually improving after surgery, but I was getting worse.
At the end of December, I was diagnosed with severe autoimmune arthritis secondary to pembrolizumab immunotherapy, which is used to treat more advanced triple-negative breast cancer.
My immune system had become overactive and started attacking my joints. They became swollen and painful to the point where I couldn’t move my hands, or feet. I became bed-bound and was put on daily high dose steroids to dampen my immune system.
But I then experienced more complications from the steroids, including osteoporosis, spinal fractures and significant weight gain.
I stayed positive throughout chemotherapy, but what got me down was the fact that I was deteriorating.
I finished cancer treatment in April this year, but my journey is far from over. I’ve had to use a wheelchair intermittently, including on my 39th birthday, which was sad.
Even though I am happy the cancer treatment was effective, I am dealing with steroid side effects that have been severe and significantly affected my ability to function.
With my doctor’s guidance, I gradually tapered off the steroids and stopped taking them completely in July.
I have had physiotherapy since then, but the main thing that helped was changing doctors and starting disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), medication that doesn’t just relieve pain and inflammation but can slow the disease down and help prevent long-term damage to the joints.
It was horrible to go from being fit and independent to not being able to walk. But I’m getting better now.
I have had a lot of complications, and most people who are diagnosed with breast cancer do not go through all the things I have.
I am mobilizing again now, getting back to my own life and rebuilding my strength in a slow and gradual way. The cancer has been cured and, most importantly, I am alive.
Dr. Hajra Siraj, 39, from England, is sharing her story to raise awareness of breast cancer and encourage people to see a doctor if they notice anything unusual.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Charlotte Nisbet and Tony Phillips.
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