Danica Bunch will never forget the day doctors told her she had two years to live.
Just days before Christmas 2022, she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. He felt perfectly fine.
Weeks earlier, the fit and healthy mother-of-two from Orange, New South Wales, had noticed an “indentation” in her right breast and knew she needed to get it checked immediately.
‘It was almost as if my clothes had been too tight. It was very small, but it was there from morning to night, so I thought, ‘Oh wait, this doesn’t seem right,'” the former dancer turned PR specialist told FEMAIL.
“I couldn’t feel any lumps, but I immediately wanted to get checked out.”
A doctor recommended she get a mammogram, which “didn’t show much,” so she asked for an ultrasound and found a small lump hidden in her breast.
Then her worst fears came true: a biopsy confirmed it was cancer.
The diagnosis was not immediate and it took several stressful weeks for doctors to give him clear answers or a treatment program.
“The surgeon told me it had spread, but gave no further details and referred me to the oncology team,” Danica recalled.
Danica Bunch was fit and healthy when she was diagnosed with breast cancer after noticing an ‘indentation’ in her right breast.
The diagnosis was not immediate and it took several stressful weeks for doctors to give him clear answers or a treatment program.
‘It was there where we were met by the nurse who was very upset about me. She gave me the diagnosis and told me that I had less than two years to live. (She said) it was untreatable. “I was devastated, but it just didn’t make sense.”
At that moment he instantly thought of his two children, now 12 and 15, and couldn’t bear the thought of not being there to see them grow up.
“It was complete and utter disbelief. It was like the rug was pulled out from under me,” said Danica, now 43 years old.
‘I thought, “How am I going to live my life? How am I going to provide for my children?” Suddenly my life had been taken from me.’
The diagnosis came as a complete shock as he experienced no other symptoms.
“It was complete and utter disbelief. “It was like the rug was pulled out from under me,” said Danica, now 43.
At that moment he instantly thought of his two children, now 12 and 15, and couldn’t bear the thought of not being around to see them grow up.
During Covid, Danica’s mother was also diagnosed with breast cancer, making her more alert and eager to get a checkup after turning 40.
But because he had no symptoms, health workers prioritized other patients and were unable to do checks.
He has since undergone genetic testing which confirmed there is “no link” between his mother’s cancer and his own. The cause is unknown.
“For mom and me, it’s like lightning struck our family twice,” Danica said.
Instead of relying on the much sought-after doctors in her regional hometown, Danica decided to contact a Sydney treatment clinic.
It was weeks of back and forth getting a biopsy followed by an MRI and then more discussion about the results until she received the diagnosis and devastating prognosis.
Then things took a turn.
During the holidays, doctors had confused his results with those of another patient.
Although she had metastatic breast cancer, it was in fact treatable and her two-year prognosis was incorrect.
He had the chance to fight it and win.
‘It was a wave of relief, but we still knew it was metastatic. So the worry that was going through my head was: how am I going to get a doctor or an oncologist to help me live?’ Danica said.
Although she had metastatic breast cancer, it was in fact treatable and her two-year prognosis was incorrect.
Danica was determined to take control of her illness and find a doctor who would treat her like a person, not just a number.
‘I met this amazing oncologist and one of the first things she wanted to know was who I am as a person: my job, how many children I have and what I love to do in my free time. She said, “I just want to know the life you want to live, because I want to keep you alive and I want to keep you well,” Danica recalled.
“Every woman deserves that attitude and that treatment, because women are essential to life.”
To cope with the chaos, Danica also sought help from a psychologist and had the support of family and close friends.
She also journaled regularly and used the Cancer Council support line.
One of the most challenging aspects was telling her children that she had cancer.
Danica was able to avoid surgery and was instead treated with immunotherapy starting in January 2023, which she takes as daily tablets. Danica hopes that sharing her experience will encourage other women to get regular checkups and self-examinations.
‘I told them points of the story in an age-appropriate way as it developed. It was important to give them the information. “I think too often we underestimate the extent to which children can see what’s going on,” he said.
Danica objectively explained how cancer is treated, that there are many different types and that it can happen to anyone.
“We’ve prioritized individual and group adventures, whether it’s walks on the beach, visits to the park, and we even went on our first roller coaster together,” he said.
Danica was able to avoid surgery and was instead treated with immunotherapy starting in January 2023, which she takes as daily tablets.
The treatment has been effective in shrinking and eliminating her metastatic breast cancer without the need for surgery.
‘I will continue receiving treatment for a long time. As long as it works, I’ll take it,” he said.
Danica hopes that sharing her experience will encourage other women to get regular checkups and self-examinations.
She also urges women to always seek a second opinion.
“If you need support, reach out,” he said.
“If anyone is going through cancer, I would encourage them to contact the Cancer Council because they really helped me a lot,” she said.