‘The first thing I thought was I’m dying’: Labour MP Dawn Butler, 52, reveals breast cancer diagnosis but says she will ‘make full recovery’ after routine mammogram ‘saved her life’ and caught cancerous cells early
- Labour’s Dawn Butler has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer
- The 52-year-old MP for Brent Central said her initial thought was that ‘I’m dying’
- She said she will make a ‘full recovery’ as a routine mammogram caught it early
Labour MP Dawn Butler has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram.
The 52-year-old MP for Brent Central made said she will step back from work to recover but has vowed she will ‘get through and over’ it.
She said the first thing she thought when she received the diagnosis last December was ‘I’m dying’.
‘I thought I’ve probably got 24 hours to live,’ she told the BBC. ‘The next thing I thought was, “I’m going to lose all my hair.”‘
Labour MP Dawn Butler, 52, (pictured) has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer after a routine mammogram
It took her three months before she publicly announced her cancer diagnosis today.
She said when she first contemplated going public she suffered from a ‘panic attack’.
The cancer was caught early and she expects to make a full recovery without the need for chemotherapy or radiation treatment.
‘A mammogram saved my life,’ she said. ‘Without a mammogram, my cancer wouldn’t have been discovered.’
She added in a statement today: ‘Back in early November, I attended a routine mammogram and a few weeks later the hospital informed me that they had identified breast cancer cells at a very early stage.
‘Of course, everything stood still as it does when you hear the dreaded C-word – it is a shock but an early diagnosis means that it is something that I will get through and over.
She said she had a panic attack when she first contemplated going public about the diagnosis
In a statement online the MP for Brent Central said the diagnosis was a ‘shock’ but she will ‘get through and over’ it because it was spotted so early
‘The NHS has caught my cancer early, the operation was a complete success, and I will make a full recovery.
‘However, I now have to take time off work for my recovery. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a workaholic and I love what I do – but unless I listen to medical advice and recover well, I will not be able to give my best. I would like to thank Parliament, the Labour Party, local members and my team for their support throughout.
‘I would like to reassure people that my office remains functioning in my absence; my dedicated staff will continue to support constituents, make representations and will still hold regular surgery appointments.
‘Hopefully, my recovery won’t take too long. But in the meantime, please bear with me and thank you very much in advance for your support.
I want to [thank] the NHS and everyone who is soldiering through.
‘I have seen first-hand how the NHS is under enormous pressure – the Royal London seemed full, people were waiting on chairs in A&E for beds, the staff were exhausted in the NHS and many were suffering from PTSD.
‘Covid-19 has taken a lot out of them. So many people have missed appointments (many through no fault of their own), results are delayed and operations postponed.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party will be supporting Ms Butler following the diagnosis. He tweeted: ‘Dawn, your bravery, strength and determination shine through’
‘If we are to show our appreciation for the amazing NHS workers and rebuild our health service then we need to properly invest in the NHS, both structurally and in the very people who keep it functioning.’
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party will be supporting Ms Butler following the diagnosis.
He tweeted: ‘Dawn, your bravery, strength and determination shine through.
‘I am sorry you’re going through this, but know that I, and the whole party, are behind you.’
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