Victoria Derbyshire, 56, reveals she 'thought she was going to die' as she reflects upon breast cancer diagnosis

Daily Mail​

4 hours ago

Victoria Derbyshire revealed she 'thought she was going to die' as she reflected on 10 years since receiving the shock diagnosis in a new interview.
The BBC presenter, who is the face of Newsnight, was given the news by medics in 2015 just days after discovering how her right nipple 'looked odd'.
Victoria, 56, underwent a mastectomy and reconstructive surgery soon after.
Following 301 days of treatment including six sessions of chemotherapy and 30 sessions of radiotherapy, the mother-of-two was given the all clear with an 11 per cent chance of the cancer recurring.
Cancer-free and marking a decade on from the life-threatening ordeal, Victoria told The Sunday Times magazine: 'I thought I was going to die.'
Recalling the days and weeks after her diagnosis, Victoria took her family on holiday as she kept thinking it could be her final one.
She said: 'When I didn't know if my cancer was going to be treatable, we went on holiday to Barcelona.'
Victoria added that she took 'a million pictures' and insisted she had to be in them all, as she faced into her recovery.
The journalist, who lives in Surrey with her husband Mark and two sons, said she hasn't changed the way she lives or eats and still drinks as she wants 'to be normal like I used to be'.
She previously told how she didn't want to tell her husband and sons about her diagnosis immediately as she went into 'practical mode'.
Victoria will be on holiday with her family when the anniversary of her diagnosis takes place, and said she plans to a 'big blowout' celebration with them.
While Victoria is thankful her son Oliver vividly remembers the price of the hospital parking more than her health battle, she praised her husband Mark for his support.
She said: 'He did step up, big time. Obviously while I was being treated he was basically a single parent.'
During her chemotherapy, he would sit with her and read the newspapers to her as she struggled to read at the time.
Victoria lost her hair during her treatment and wore a wig because she 'didn't want people to feel sorry for her'.
It was her illness that spurred her decision to marry Mark after 17 years together in 2018.
He had proposed before she was pregnant with her first child - however the two never actually tied the knot.
Two years after beating the illness, Victoria stripped off for ITV's The Real Full Monty and competed in I'm A Celebrity in 2020.
In January 2020, it was announced that the broadcaster's eponymous show was being cancelled by the BBC because the cost of doing it on a 'linear channel' were too high.
Victoria says that while she was 'gutted' the show had been axed, her battle with breast cancer gave her a 'different perspective' and allowed her to cope with the loss of her show.
WHAT IS A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY?
A double mastectomy is the removal of both breasts.
This is a way of treating breast cancer and is often done to women who are at a high risk of the disease returning after therapy.
The treatment may also be suitable for women who are unable to have radiation therapy, have a tumour larger than 5cm across or have a mutation, such as in the BRCA gene, that increases their cancer risk.
Most women stay in hospital for one or two nights but are able to return to their regular activities within around four weeks.
Side effects can include pain, swelling, a build up of blood or fluid at the surgery site, limited arm movement and numbness in the chest or upper arm.
After surgery, some women may wish to have the breast mound rebuilt to restore its appearance in breast reconstruction surgery.
Some patients may require other treatment after a mastectomy such as radiation, chemo or hormone therapy.