Breast cancer survivors, aged 40 and 29, thrilled by the results of new chemotherapy trial which could see women AVOID mastectomies entirely

  • Two women have taken part in an experimental breast cancer treatment trial
  • Melissa Irving, 40, and Tameeka Jones, 29, both were elected for the pilot study
  • Doctors are hoping the trial will eventually eliminate the need for mastectomies
  • Successful results may mean a completely new way of treating breast cancer

Two women who were selected for an experimental breast cancer trial have revealed how doubling up chemo and hormone therapy completely obliterated their tumours.

Melissa Irving, 40, and Tameeka Jones, 29, both found lumps on their breasts and were diagnosed with the dreaded disease with the fear they would face years of invasive surgery and painful chemotherapy.

But after being randomly chosen to participate in a new trial for breast cancer sufferers in Australia, both women are now proudly cancer free - and Melissa was even able to save her breasts by only having a lumpectomy.

Melissa Irving (pictured) was one of the women selected for the breast cancer ELIMINATE trial

Melissa Irving (pictured) was one of the women selected for the breast cancer ELIMINATE trial

The mother-of-two, aged 40, (pictured with her family) was able to avoid having a mastectomy after her breast cancer diagnosis 

The mother-of-two, aged 40, (pictured with her family) was able to avoid having a mastectomy after her breast cancer diagnosis 

'It is fabulous - at the age of 39 I couldn't really comprehend having a full on mastectomy. I played netball and was so active,' Melissa told FEMAIL. 

The mother-of-two, who lives on the NSW central coast, discovered a lump while doing a fitness challenge with sit-ups and pull-ups alongside her husband.

And within a few days, Melissa was diagnosed in 2015 with ductal carcinoma, a common form of breast cancer.

'I had to come home and tell my husband which was really hard. But then I basically went into fight mode and thought: "Okay, what do we need to do?",' she said.

'It was a stage three lump and it's size generally meant you would have a mastectomy straight away. But the goal was to avoid that, so I had 16 rounds of chemo and hormone treatment.' 

'It is fabulous - at the age of 39 I couldn't really comprehend having a full on mastectomy. I played netball and was so active,' Melissa (pictured) told FEMAIL.

'It is fabulous - at the age of 39 I couldn't really comprehend having a full on mastectomy. I played netball and was so active,' Melissa (pictured) told FEMAIL.

The mother-of-two, (pictured with her family) who lives on the NSW central coast, discovered a lump while doing a fitness challenge with sit-ups and pull-ups alongside her husband

The mother-of-two, (pictured with her family) who lives on the NSW central coast, discovered a lump while doing a fitness challenge with sit-ups and pull-ups alongside her husband

Single mother Tameeka Jones' story is a familiar narrative. She spotted her lump while taking a shower a year ago, and was diagnosed with breast cancer within the next week.

The 29-year-old says an aura of calm descended on her - with her first thoughts heading to her daughter, aged three, and who would look after her while she recovered.

'It rocked me straight away but I didn't cry and my initial instinct was to ask: "Is this going to kill me?"' Tameeka said.

'I said: "I have a two-year-old... you can't be telling me I have breast cancer". I didn't sleep for two days, it turned our world upside down.'

Soon after their diagnosis Melissa and Tameeka were both selected to take part in a trial, known as ELIMINATE, which tackles tumours with hormone therapy and chemotherapy at the same time - only available to women with the hormone positive strain of breast cancer.

Single mother Tameeka Jones' (pictured) story is a familiar narrative. She spotted her lump while taking a shower, and was diagnosed with breast cancer within the next week

Single mother Tameeka Jones' (pictured) story is a familiar narrative. She spotted her lump while taking a shower, and was diagnosed with breast cancer within the next week

The 29-year-old (pictured with her daughter) says an aura of calm descended on her - with her first thoughts heading to her daughter, aged three, and who would look after her while she recovered

The 29-year-old (pictured with her daughter) says an aura of calm descended on her - with her first thoughts heading to her daughter, aged three, and who would look after her while she recovered

'It rocked me straight away but I didn't cry and my initial instinct was to ask: "Is this going to kill me?"' Tameeka said

'It rocked me straight away but I didn't cry and my initial instinct was to ask: "Is this going to kill me?"' Tameeka said

The aim of the trial, medical oncologist Dr Belinda Kiely told FEMAIL, is to see if shrinking cancer with twice the manpower could help to reduce the need for surgeries and, eventually, the need to perform mastectomies.

'This trial will hopefully answer the question, do women need to have surgery for breast cancer?' Dr Kiely said.

'If we see a strong signal that the combination treatment means more shrinkage and less mastectomies, then perhaps we should be treating every cancer this way.' 

Melissa says she was mentally prepared to lose her breasts - but is now cancer free after only receiving a lumpectomy, which only removes a portion of the breast issue.

She says if she wasn't chosen for the ELIMINATE trial, there is a strong chance she would have gone under the knife for an invasive mastectomy long ago.

'I had it in my had that I would do whatever it took to get rid of this cancer, but to hear the surgeon say they could save my breasts... it was a major relief,' Melissa added. 

The aim of the trial, medical oncologist Dr Belinda Kiely (pictured) told FEMAIL, is to see if shrinking cancer with twice the manpower could help to reduce the need for surgeries and, eventually, the need to perform mastectomies

The aim of the trial, medical oncologist Dr Belinda Kiely (pictured) told FEMAIL, is to see if shrinking cancer with twice the manpower could help to reduce the need for surgeries and, eventually, the need to perform mastectomies

The ELIMINATE trial doubled up chemotherapy and hormone therapy, which is traditionally done separately (Stock image)

The ELIMINATE trial doubled up chemotherapy and hormone therapy, which is traditionally done separately (Stock image)

Tameeka's nine-centimetre lump was significantly bigger - meaning she would have needed a right-side mastectomy with or without the trial.

However the extra treatment has meant she has successfully avoided several more invasive surgery and her tumour shrank a great deal during chemotherapy.

'I am grateful and very, very lucky. I had breast cancer but I was able to keep life as normal as I could. I worked the whole time, my daughter still went to school and I still mowed the lawn,' Tameeka said.

'The trial helped to keep everything as normal as we could. I just explained to my daughter: "Mummy is going to have her booby taken off".'

The ELIMINATE trial, which has recruited 123 women across Australia and New Zealand, is still in progress but with success stories like Melissa and Tameeka's existing as living proof of its results.

Dr Kiely says the results of the trial may mean a 'new standard' for how doctors treat breast cancer in Australia.

For more information please visit www.breastcancertrials.org.au

Tameeka's (pictured) nine-centimetre lump was significantly bigger - meaning she would have needed a right-side mastectomy with or without the trial

Tameeka's (pictured) nine-centimetre lump was significantly bigger - meaning she would have needed a right-side mastectomy with or without the trial

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