Victoria’s Secret Model Christine Handy, 54, Diagnosed With Breast Cancer, Says She’s Chosen to Document Her Journey to Show Others ‘I Became More Alive on the Other Side’

“I documented every low because I knew one day another woman would be scrolling on her phone in a hospital bed at 3 a.m., terrified she wouldn’t make it to sunrise. I wanted her to find a story that says, ‘I’ve been that low, and look — I became more alive on the other side,’” she told LA Buzz.

“Turning my journals into a novel and then into a film wasn’t about me anymore. It was about leaving a light on in a hallway that’s been dark for far too long.”

Handy first discovered a lump in her left breast in September 2012. “I was 41, a self‑proclaimed athlete and model, young enough and with no family history. I felt kind of immune to getting cancer,” she told The Patient Story.

@christinehandyCreating Hello Beautiful – a film based on my story – meant stepping into vulnerability. It wasn’t easy to bring personal pain to the screen, but during a quiet moment of reflection, a question stayed with me: Could this story offer someone else the hope they might need? The answer was yes. All voices lead to something. So why not take pain — and turn it into a voice of hope? That’s why Hello Beautiful was created. To give others what I once needed: the reminder that survival is possible, and that healing begins when stories are shared. #hellobeautifulmovie #hellobeautifulthemovie #indiefilm #cinemamagic #christinehandy #ziadhamzeh #breastcancer #breastcancerawareness♬ original sound – Christine Handy

Within days, testing confirmed she had breast cancer. She began treatment with a lumpectomy, followed by chemotherapy.

“But in the wreckage of chemotherapy, mastectomy, and the long, dark nights when I wasn’t sure I’d see morning, I made a different choice,” she said.

“I decided my pain had to have purpose. That purpose became the fuel that lifted me out of the hospital bed and onto stages around the world as a speaker, into the pages of my book as an author, and forged my path as a filmmaker. The only way I could carry what happened to me was to transform it into a bridge — something strong enough for others to walk across when they’re facing their own storms.”

Breast Cancer Surgery

A lumpectomy is a surgery to remove cancerous or abnormal tissue from the breast. It’s also known as breast-conserving surgery because, unlike mastectomy, only the tumor and some of the surrounding tissue are removed.

WATCH: Choosing between a lumpectomy and a mastectomy.

During a mastectomy, the breast is removed. In a double mastectomy, both breasts are removed. In many cases, women choose to undergo breast reconstruction.

Reconstruction gives women the chance to have implants put in right after the mastectomy procedure. However, some women choose not to have reconstruction at all.

Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, told SurvivorNet that most women do opt to have some reconstruction. Depending on what sort of surgery a woman chooses, the time spent in surgery can vary greatly.

There are many different options and techniques available for reconstruction — from implants to using a woman’s own tissue — and choices about when to get the reconstruction, meaning immediate (at the time of mastectomy) or delayed (which could be months or even years later).

WATCH: Deciding to get saline or silicone implants during a breast reconstruction.

Immediate reconstruction can produce better results than delayed reconstruction, resulting in fewer surgeries. However, it may require a more extended initial hospitalization and recovery time. This long surgery may also have a higher risk of complications, such as infections, than two separate surgeries.

It may be worth noting that “Delayed reconstruction has fewer complications than immediate reconstruction,” Dr. Terry Myckatyn, a plastic surgeon specializing in breast reconstruction, told SurvivorNet.

When implants are used, the procedure can take two to three hours (so the total surgery time would be around five hours). During reconstruction, one can also take one’s own tissue (usually from the belly area) and transfer it into the breast area.

After breast cancer surgery, women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer may also need chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy.

Handy needed a double mastectomy towards the end of 2012 after receiving a lumpectomy and chemotherapy.

A double mastectomy is a procedure in which both breasts are removed to get rid of cancer. The procedure may also be performed as a preventative measure for women who are at a very high risk of developing breast cancer.

“A double mastectomy typically takes about two hours for the cancer part of the operation, the removal of the tissue,” Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet. “The real length, the total length of the surgery, can often depend on what type of reconstruction [a patient] has.”

@christinehandy I’ll never get tired of sharing why @hellobeautifulmovie exists. It was created to remind others they’re not alone — and that hope still has a place here. Thank you to @karasewelltv at WFAA, Amy Zicarelli, and @Brighter Magazine for helping share this message. Full interview: https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/entertainment-news/cancer-survivor-discusses-new-film-hello-beautiful/287-34bc2b91-6b8b-4227-b9bd-52aeecd3f2bf #hellobeautifulmovie #breastcancersurvivor #sagawards #oscars #academyawards ♬ original sound – Christine Handy

Handy says she completed her chemotherapy a little more than a year after beginning breast cancer treatment, at which time doctors found no evidence of disease. She continued on maintenance therapy for eight years until 2020.

“After I was diagnosed with breast cancer and I lost my hair and sense of beauty, I thought, gee, I’ve done this wrong for so many years. I felt I needed to refocus on things inside like my self-esteem, self-worth, and faith,” Handy told WXYZ News in Detroit.

“When I refocused, I thought maybe if I wrote a book, it would make a splash in the world? Not just the transformation I went through, but about women championing for each other. Ultimately, I wanted that book to be a film, because when I was going through breast cancer, I sought out media to see what I was about to go through.”

“What I found was more fear-based, and what I’ve got are more hopeful stories, and I thought, wouldn’t it make a splash in the world to have a movie about survivorship and empowerment and women championing for each other and women showing up for each other in meaningful ways.”

What to Expect During Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Chemotherapy is an effective tool for oncologists to help treat cancer by stopping cancerous cells from growing, dividing, and spreading to other organs. Chemo works by traveling through the bloodstream, killing cancerous cells. However, healthy cells are also impacted in the process, leading to side effects.

Patients almost universally experience fatigue, often alongside gastrointestinal side effects, such as nausea. Doctors have many effective medications to combat chemo-induced nausea. “But mitigating that fatigue often depends on the patient,” says Dr. Renata Urban, a gynecologic oncologist at the University of Washington in Seattle.

“Neuropathy is probably one of the most challenging side effects,” says Dr. Urban. Neuropathy results from damage to the peripheral nerves. It usually resolves after chemotherapy treatment, but sometimes symptoms can persist. While it’s typically characterized by numbness or a pins-and-needles sensation in the hands and feet, neuropathy can have several different symptoms, including:

• Weakness in the hands or feet
• Stabbing or burning pain in the hands or feet
• Difficulty gripping, such as when holding a fork
• Difficulty with fine motor skills, such as writing or buttoning a shirt

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of chemotherapy. When chemotherapy affects the rapidly dividing cells in the lining of the stomach, the resulting cellular havoc in the gastrointestinal tract can lead to side effects such as nausea and vomiting. However, doctors can help patients mitigate the hit with various medications before, during, and after treatment.

“Part of the chemotherapy prescription includes a set regimen of anti-nausea medications,” says Dr. Urban. “We also ensure that patients have medications at home that they can use should they develop nausea after treatment.”

Hair loss is another side effect of chemotherapy.

WATCH: Coping with hair loss.

“For cancer patients, losing one’s hair can be unbelievably stressful. To start with, the dread of losing one’s hair can lead to some sleepless nights and feelings of anxiety,” Dr. Samantha Boardman, a New York-based psychiatrist and author, told SurvivorNet.

Chemotherapy can cause hair loss. It usually begins about three to four weeks after chemotherapy and continues throughout treatment.

It happens because this treatment targets quickly dividing cells throughout the body. That includes cancer cells but also hair cells.

Most patients can expect regrowth four to six weeks after treatment. However, it is possible that when your hair grows back, you may notice some changes in its color and texture.

Tips for Navigating Chemo Side Effects

When dealing with fatigue, doctors don’t have an arsenal of weapons to combat fatigue in terms of prescription medications. However, you can do several things to help minimize the hit and restore your energy.

• Exercise: While it may be counterintuitive, physical activity can help alleviate side effects, especially fatigue. “Although ovarian cancer is not common, we often draw upon the experience of patients with breast cancer and colon cancer, who have shown that physical activity can not only improve quality of life but may also have beneficial impacts on cancer outcomes,” Dr. Urban says.
• Eat well: Even though nausea may interfere with your ability to eat a healthy diet, it’s essential to ensure you’re eating appropriately, getting enough protein, and not losing weight. Not only will nourishing your body support your recovery, but it may also help you feel more energized.
• Sleep: Want to mitigate fatigue? Be sure to maintain your regular sleep-wake cycle while on treatment. Sticking to a set sleep schedule helps reduce fatigue by ensuring enough hours for your body to heal and restore itself each night. It may also help you recover more quickly by keeping energy levels high during the daytime.

Treating Neuropathy Symptoms

Doctors have several strategies for helping patients deal with this side effect. Once a patient begins experiencing the symptoms of neuropathy, they’ll be carefully monitored to make sure it doesn’t get worse. Before each chemotherapy infusion, the attending oncologist will assess whether the symptoms have progressed. If the symptoms worsen, they may adjust the dose or delay treatment. They may also try switching to another chemotherapy drug.

How to Get a Handle on Nausea

Most of these anti-nausea medications last for more than eight hours. One of the infusions commonly used reduces the degree of nausea for up to three days.

Complementary approaches may also be helpful. A few favorites:

• Ginger: Studies consistently show that ginger helps alleviate chemotherapy-induced nausea. The powerful herb appears to have an anti-spasmodic effect on the gut. Not a fan of raw ginger? Suck on ginger candy, sip ginger ale, or make a steaming cup of ginger tea.
• Pressure bracelets: at your local pharmacy, these bracelets provide consistent pressure on a particular acupressure point on the wrist to reduce nausea.
• Deep breathing: Moving air in and out of your lungs with a few deep breaths can help relieve nausea, particularly if you pair deep breathing exercises with meditation. It can also help you relax and release stress and anxiety.

WATCH: Managing chemo side effects.

Coping with Hair Loss

If losing your hair is a concern for you before cancer treatment, know you have options like wigs, hats, wraps, and scarves, among other things.

Another option that can minimize hair loss is cryotherapy, “just a fancy way of saying cold therapy,” says Dr. Urban.

Cryotherapy involves wearing cold caps or special cooling caps before, during, and after each chemotherapy treatment.

When to Screen for Breast Cancer

The medical community has a broad consensus that women should have annual mammograms between the ages of 45 and 54. However, an independent panel of experts called the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is saying that women should now start getting mammograms every other year at the age of 40, suggesting that this lowered age for breast cancer screening could save 19% more lives.

The American Cancer Society recommends getting a mammogram every other year for women 55 and older. However, women in this age group who want added reassurance can still get annual mammograms.

WATCH: When you’re getting a mammogram, ask about dense breasts.

Women with a strong family history of breast cancer, a genetic mutation known to increase the risk of breast cancer, such as a BRCA gene mutation, or a medical history, including chest radiation therapy before the age of 30, are considered at higher risk for breast cancer.

Experiencing menstruation at an early age (before 12) or having dense breasts can also put you into a high-risk category. If you are at a higher risk of developing breast cancer, you should begin screening earlier.

Questions For Your Doctor

• What stage is my cancer, and how does that affect my treatment plan?
• What are the recommended chemotherapy options for triple-negative breast cancer, and what side effects should I expect?
• Are there any clinical trials or emerging treatments I should consider?
• How will treatment affect my fertility, physical activity, or ability to work?
• What follow-up care and monitoring will I need?

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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