A woman who was diagnosed with a “one in a million” cancer at age 21, leaving her with a 30cm scar across her chest after a mastectomy, hopes to encourage other patients to “celebrate their body” as she waits for breast reconstruction surgery. Perri Rowe, now 24, a product specialist for John Lewis, first discovered a lump in her right breast while on holiday and said she has had to “come to terms” with her new body after undergoing a mastectomy in December 2020.
After being diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of soft-tissue sarcoma which is extremely rare in breast cancer patients, Perri was put on intensive chemotherapy before getting the all-clear in March 2021. Perri, who lives in Leeds with her boyfriend, Alex, 29, a network manager for a sports broadcasting company, hopes to encourage other cancer patients to “celebrate their body”.
Perri said: “I have a 30cm scar across my chest and, while I’m due to have reconstruction surgery this summer, I have had to come to terms with how my body has changed during my treatment, and I have learned to love my body as it is now. Every scar defines the kind of journey you’ve been on, and you should be proud of that.”
