'I had double mastectomy after rare cancer gene test saved my mum's life'

Daily Mirror

4 days ago

Grace Burton made the life-altering decision after her mother and aunt were both diagnosed with breast cancer, with the 28-year-old opting for a double mastectomy as a preventative measure
EastEnders actress Kara Tointon has bravely revealed she has undergone a double mastectomy and fallopian tube removal following a gene test - seven years after losing her mum.
On Wednesday, the 41-year-old shared the news that she carried the BRCA gene, saying in her Instagram video: 'You may have heard of the BRCA genes 1 and 2 and as a carrier it means I am at a greater risk of both breast and ovarian cancer.'
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The Essex-born actress admitted that she wanted to take the genetic test as far back as 2018 when her mother Carol was undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer. Sadly, Kara's mum passed away from ovarian cancer the following year.
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Grace Burton, 28, also made the life-altering decision to undergo a preventative double mastectomy in October last year after learning she carried the BRCA1 gene mutation, like Kara. Following in her mother and aunt's footsteps, the corporate finance consultant from Bromley in South East London, decided she would rather undergo the procedure than risk developing the life-altering condition in the future.
"I think I'm lucky that I know I have the gene, and I can do something about it," she says. "My mum and my aunt went through mastectomies when they'd already been diagnosed. By the time it came to me and my preventative surgery, our attitude was more, 'let's get on with it', I didn't get too emotional about it."
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Initial dismissal
Her aunt, Sally Widgen, 52, was diagnosed with breast cancer in her mid-thirties. That diagnosis sparked concern in the family, but doctors initially dismissed the idea of a genetic link.
"My mum was so worried because of her young age, but doctors said it's not genetic because my aunt was the first in the family to get it," Grace recalls.
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"Mum was 45 and would have had to wait five years for a mammogram so she paid for one privately and they found a tiny lump that was so deep which she would have never picked up through self-checking. She realised at that point that it was probably genetic."
Further investigation revealed a pattern of breast cancer on her mother's paternal side. Grace's mum, Sue Burton, 56, had been estranged from that side of the family since childhood.
Genetic testing confirmed that both Sue and Sally carried the BRCA1 mutation. Grace then learned in her late teens that she might carry the gene herself.
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"I went off to university and had the test done when I'd finished at about 21. When it was confirmed I had the BRCA1 gene I spoke to the team at Guy's who said I would have yearly MRI's. They wanted to wait a few years before doing anything surgical and said they wouldn't do anything before I turned 25."
In 2023, after marrying her long-term partner, Tom Cheesman, 27, a chartered wealth manager, Grace decided the time was right. "I didn't want any issues with scarring or how the dress fitted or to be feeling stressed about recovering for a certain date," she said.
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After the wedding, she moved forward with the surgery, which is offered for free on the NHS. "When they sit you down and you get your risk results and it's edging towards the wrong side of 50 percent you think, 'let's just do the op'. It felt like the right time."
'Boob-voyage'
Grace's support network rallied around her. A friend even threw her a cheeky, boob-themed farewell bash.
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"My husband did speak with the girls who I had told and they threw me a surprise 'boob voyage' as they called it! Basically just a little party with everything boob themed, including 'pin the nipples on the boobs', 'booby bingo', lots of puns floating around!"
"October seemed like a nice time to do it. I could sit around in baggy clothes and hibernate a bit."
Surprisingly, she was discharged on the same day. "I wasn't expecting that. I think I was a little bit cocky in the run up in terms of the recovery time. But I soon realised when they say you can't sit yourself up afterwards, you really can't! I couldn't lift the kettle for a week or two."
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Tom played a vital role in her recovery. "In our relationship, there was definitely an adjustment period. You're constantly aware of it. From a recovery point of view he was the one emptying the drains and checking the wounds and changing the dressings."
The surgery was performed at Guy's Hospital, with two surgeons operating on each breast simultaneously. Grace opted for implants, meaning she was able to keep the same size breasts as before.
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"I was on the operating table for four hours. Guys do it over the muscle with silicone implants. The surgery was covered by the NHS, including the reconstruction and if in the future they need to be changed, that will be covered.'
Grace admits she didn't seek much outside support ahead of the operation. "I didn't speak to anyone before the surgery because my mum had been through it, and my aunt. I had seen it first hand already."
Six months on, she is still adjusting and her implants are still taking some time to get used to. "I can feel the edge of them and they can be a bit uncomfortable. I'm also realising although they are the same size, things don't fit the same. It still looks different. I'm now at the point where I'm accepting what it's going to look like."
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She's currently on her first post-op holiday in Florida. "I'll be in swimwear for the first time. I don't know how things will look or feel like. It'll be a learning curve. I might need more surgery to maintain them."
Grace admits that the surgery does come with difficult trade-offs when it comes to having a family in the future. "At this stage, with the double mastectomy, you can't breastfeed but I'd be a better mother not being able to breastfeed than I would be in a hospital bed."
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Careful consideration
For those going through a similar decision, she urges careful consideration. "You could stick with monitoring, do nothing about it, or jump in and do it straight away. It's a bit confusing. The surgery itself is terrifying but the alternative is worse.'
Like Kara, who is an ambassador for the gynaecological cancer charity the Eve Appeal, Grace is keen to raise awareness. She has become an active advocate, participating in show-and-tell sessions where she models her reconstructed breasts to support others considering surgery. "There's someone with no recon, someone with a DIEP recon and me with immediate recon with implants.
"At the last session I was the only model under 35 and the other young women really gravitated towards me. I'm showing off someone else's work. I've kept my nipples but the boobs are fake, they're not really mine anymore so maybe that makes it easier."
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She's also involved in an educational portal being developed by Guy's Hospital and is preparing for a trek with the charity CoppaFeel.
"I posted about my surgery on Instagram and six or seven people I hadn't spoken to for years got in touch with lots of questions – some of them were in a similar position but too scared to get tested for the gene."
Grace's mother remains her number one supporter having undergone the surgery herself. "She still comes to all the appointments with me. She still goes to the support groups – more for me than for her – to find out about any new research developments and things like that."
Anyone seeking information or support can speak to Breast Cancer Now's expert nurses by calling our free, confidential helpline on 0808 800 6000