A Dublin teacher who was diagnosed with breast cancer has appealed to people to keep their doctor's appointments.
Emma Cassidy was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease, and within a week was undergoing surgery to have a double mastectomy.
She has since become a spokesperson for Breast Cancer Ireland.
She told Pat Kenny her diagnosis was "the biggest shock of my life, I was only 30 years of age.
"I never in a million years thought that I would be someone who would get cancer."
"I didn't really have a big history of it in my family - I was quite naïve about it all, to be honest."
She was diagnosed in June 2017 and said there was a "blur and a whirlwind of treatment" that followed.
"Within two weeks, I'd had a double mastectomy, a couple of weeks after that into chemotherapy, then into radiotherapy.
"The whole thing was just a very frightening experience".
But she said she stayed positive, thanks to those around her.
"I have such amazing family and friends, and in work - work colleagues - and all the students.
"Everybody's just so supportive to me, Breast Cancer Ireland have been a massive support in helping me through such a tough time.
"So I suppose when you've that kind of support system around you, it's a lot easier to be optimistic and positive that you're going to come through it".
Life after treatment
She also recently became a mother to baby Sam, who is eight weeks old.
"He's absolutely changed our lives, we couldn't be happier with him."
She said a baby was not something she had really thought about.
"When I was starting out with the chemotherapy and the surgery, I was just so focused on getting through that, that at the time I suppose it wasn't at the forefront of my mind.
"I just kind of wanted to get through that and get better".
But she said after all the treatments were done, her mind started to focus again.
"When the treatment finished.... and you've a lot more thinking time on your hands, all of those kind of thoughts can kind of creep in on you.
"You're thinking 'Oh my goodness I never had even considered this, is there a chance that I won't be a mother'.
"It was definitely something that I was trying to come to terms with, that I mightn't get the opportunity to be a mother - so it makes all the more special now that I am".
Emma said education is key for everyone.
"I actually always assumed that people who got breast cancer, it was something that ran in their family - that that was the most common thing.
"But actually it's not: most breast cancers aren't actually genetic, it's more unusual for it to be genetic".
BRCA gene
Emma had a genetic test done after her treatment, which revealed she had the BRCA1 gene.
BRCA are genes that produce proteins that help repair damaged DNA.
Everyone has two copies of each of these genes - one copy inherited from each parent.
They are sometimes called tumour suppressor genes, because when they have certain changes - called harmful (or pathogenic) variants (or mutations) - cancer can develop.
A woman's risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is increased if she inherits a harmful variant in BRCA1 or BRCA2 - but the degree of increase varies depending on the mutation.
She said it was "a massive blow" and "almost tougher than the cancer diagnosis".
"You can have treatment and hopefully get better, but with a genetic abnormality you can't change your whole genetic make-up".
She said this was "a hard pill to swallow" after the year she had.
"Now to be told, after all that, 'OK you have this gene and now you're at a risk of ovarian cancer and other things' - so it was difficult."
She said she has one message for everyone on World Cancer Day.
"If you feel there's something abnormal in your body, or something just doesn't feel right - even in the current climate with the pandemic - please go to you GP and get checked because you will be seen.
"Cancer doesn't stop just because there's another illness or virus happening - cancer will always be there, unfortunately".
World Cancer Day is marked every February 4th as part of a global initiative to raise awareness and improve education.
Events are also being held in Ireland.
