Woman Dismissed Breast Shrinkage As Pregnancy Symptom—Now, 43, She’s Facing Stage 4 Cancer & Navigating Survivorship: ‘Still Here. Still Fighting. Still Hopeful’

“Obviously in pregnancy, your body changes with every part of you. As other things settled down, one of my breasts was still quite large and one was shrinking. There was nearly three sizes difference between the two breasts, which is massive,” said Fish, who recently shared her story with Kennedy News & Media, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Although she initially attributed the changes in her breast to pregnancy, Fish went to see her doctor in February 2023 after noticing her right breast’s nipple “started to turn inward” a few weeks prior.

She explained, “I still put it off a little bit longer but then went and had that checked in February 2023. I wouldn’t have gone if I hadn’t noticed that the nipple was inverted. I was still just putting it down to how the changes happened during pregnancy.”

Fish, a single mom of one, recalled learning after going to the doctor that the right breast had ultimately “shrunk to the size of the tumor.” She was diagnosed with breast cancer on February 17, 2023, a diagnosis she describes as being “really, really surreal.”

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A post shared by Gemma Fish (@g3mfish)

By March 21 of that year, she underwent a single mastectomy, followed by five months of chemotherapy, and radiotherapy afterward.

Further sharing how her diagnosis went from early0stage to late-stage  in less than a year, she said, “I had my ovaries removed in January 2024 because my cancer was estrogen fed. As part and parcel of surgery they were sent off for testing and it came back that the breast cancer was in my ovaries.

“I’m classed as living with stage four breast cancer, but I will always take it as a win because it was found in the lab after they’d been removed from my body.”

Fish later had her left breast surgically removed in March 2025, and decided not to undergo reconstructive surgery, choosing to remain “flat chested.”

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A post shared by Gemma Fish (@g3mfish)

“Living with stage four cancer is completely different now compared to how it was years ago. It’s no longer a straight death sentence so to speak, there’s lots of ladies that live long lives on various different treatment lines,” she added, hoping her cancer journey will encourage other women to get remain hopeful and get checked.

She advises, “Just don’t ignore it, because if I had gone initially and not ignored it and not buried my head in the sand it would have been caught a hell of a lot sooner.”

As for how Fish is feeling about her body after having both breasts removed, she wrote alongside a photo of her chest, shared on Instagram last month, “I’m learning that this body isn’t something to hide or feel ashamed of. This body carried me through cancer, through surgeries, through some of the hardest mental battles I’ve ever faced.

“And for that, I’m proud of it. Scars, strength, survival — this body tells my story.”

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A post shared by Gemma Fish (@g3mfish)

February 17 of this year marked Fish’s 3rd cancerversary, prompting her to take to social media to express how she’s still “surviving” the disease that “tried to kill” her.

Fish, who admitted to undergoing trauma counseling, captioned her uplifting post, “Active treatment may be over and it’s “just tablets and injections” now, but learning to live with cancer — and the mental load that comes with it — has been one of the hardest parts. The stable scans continue to breathe hope into me, but healing isn’t just physical.”

“From diagnosis you go into fight mode. Survival mode. And when the dust settles, you’re left rebuilding yourself piece by piece,” she continued. “Being diagnosed as a single mum to a tiny baby brought fears I can’t even describe. I planned for Rosie’s future without me. Now, I’m tentatively planning our future together. I’ve even booked us holidays this year — and that feels HUGE. I’m still here. Still fighting. Still hopeful.”

Fish, whose daughter is now four years old, concluded, “Every year is a victory. And if this post gives even one newly diagnosed person a little bit of hope — then it’s worth sharing.”

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A post shared by Titivate – My Breast Cancer Blog (@thetitivateblog)

Treatment Options for Advanced Breast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer (also called stage 4) means cancer cells have spread from the breast to other parts of the body, which may include the bones, liver, lungs, brain, and beyond.

Breast cancer spreads through the bloodstream or lymphatic system. The blood carries cancer cells to different body parts, where they grow as new tumors.

As the cancer spreads to other body parts, patients may experience additional symptoms depending on where the cancer has spread. Examples include:

• Bones: Severe bone pain or fractures
• Lungs: Difficulty breathing, chest pain, new cough
• Liver: Yellowing of the skin (jaundice), abdominal pain, nausea, and/or vomiting
• Brain: Headaches, memory loss, changes in vision, seizures

WATCH: How Women Are Making Empowered Choices To Help Keep Cancer From Coming Back 

Although stage 4 breast cancer is not curable, several treatment options exist that can extend the life of patients. Treatment options depend on the stage, type of primary breast cancer, and whether hormone receptors are positive.

Treatment can include a combination of:

• Chemotherapy: Oral or IV medications that are toxic to tumor cells
• Hormonal therapies: Drugs that lower estrogen levels or block estrogen receptors from allowing the cancer cells to grow
• Targeted therapies: Drugs that target your tumor’s specific gene mutations
• Immunotherapy: Medications that stimulate your immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells
• Radiation: The use of high-energy rays to kill tumor cells and shrink tumors
• Surgery: To remove a cancerous tumor or lymph nodes (uncommon with stage IV; more common in stages I, II, and III)
• Clinical trials: Studies of new medications, treatments, and other therapies offer hope for better outcomes.

WATCH: Treatment options for metastatic breast cancer.

What to Know About Choosing a Care Team & The Value of a Second Opinion

“Cancer care is multidisciplinary, and a team approach is simply the best way to organize it,” Dr. Elizabeth Berger previously, a breast surgical oncologist in The Breast Center at Yale University’s Smilow Cancer Center in New Haven, CT, previously told SurvivorNet.

Cancer care team members strive to stay on the same page and communicate a clear and uniform message to their patients.

“Teams communicate on an almost daily basis. When I receive a [lab] report on a patient, I reach out to the radiologist and the medical oncologist right away. We have calls where all members of that patient’s team are on the call discussing appropriate care for each patient,” Dr. Berger explains.

Dr. Dana Chase weighs in on advocating for your health and avoiding provider bias.

Your care team can be thought of as a bicycle wheel containing a hub and many spokes. You won’t handpick each member of your team. Most likely, the doctor you start your cancer care with, whether that’s a surgeon or a medical oncologist, will refer you to the other doctors you need. Of course, if one of those doctors isn’t a great fit, you can try another.

Core providers form the hub and can include:

• The surgeon
• The oncologist
• The radiologist

The spokes may be comprised of various providers depending on what you need. Your team could include:

• A genetic counselor
• A nutritionist
• An emotional support
• A reproductive medicine specialist
• A physical therapist

WATCH: What should you consider when choosing your care team?

Remember, advocating for yourself is an important part of any health journey. When you see a doctor for a problem, don’t hesitate to make sure that your questions are fully answered and that you are comfortable with the plan moving forward. From a doctor’s perspective, every problem should have a diagnosis, a treatment, a plan for follow-up, and a plan for what happens next if the treatment doesn’t work.

“It’s important for you to actually educate yourself and be your own health care advocate,” colorectal surgeon Dr. Zuri Murrell previously told SurvivorNet. “You should lead each doctor’s appointment with a plan.”

In addition to making sure you and your doctor are in alignment with your diagnosis and potential treatment, seeking other opinions is equally important.

Doctors do not always agree about whether your symptoms might merit further testing and whether specific treatment methods might work best for you.

Dr. Steven Rosenberg, chief of surgery at the National Cancer Institute and one of America’s most renowned cancer doctors, agrees.

WATCH: The value of getting a second opinion.

“If I had any advice for you following a cancer diagnosis, it would be, first, to seek out multiple opinions as to the best care, because finding a doctor who is up to the latest of information is important,” Rosenberg previously told SurvivorNet.

“It’s always important to get other opinions so that you can make the best decisions for yourself in consultation with your care providers,” Dr. Rosenberg continued.

Coping With a Breast Cancer Diagnosis

If you are facing a breast cancer diagnosis, your emotions are likely to run high, which is completely normal. Psychiatrist Dr. Lori Plutchik says emotions are often fluid when coping with a diagnosis.

“The patient or person going through the stressful event should accept that emotions will be fluid. You may feel fine one day and then feel a massive wave of stress the next. It’s also important for those you look to for support, whether that’s a therapist, friends, family, or both, to understand the fluidity of stress-related emotions,” Dr. Plutchik told SurvivorNet in an earlier interview.

If a stressful event affects how you think and feel, it may be time to seek mental health treatment. This could mean traditional talk therapy, medication, changing lifestyle habits (like exercise and diet), seeking a support group, or many other approaches.

Women needing a little extra help coping with a breast cancer diagnosis should consider the following.

• Let your family and close friends know, and let them help. So many cancer survivors tell us they want and need support but are often too preoccupied to make specific requests. Urge those close to you to jump in with whatever practical help they can offer.
• Keep a journal. It can be highly cathartic to let those feelings loose on paper. Grab a pen and a lovely journal and chronicle your thoughts throughout the day.
• Join a cancer support group. Groups are available in nearly every community and offer opportunities to connect with others going through a similar journey. You’ll learn constructive insight from others who can tell you what to expect and how to stay strong on tough days.
• Consider seeing a therapist. Ask your doctor to refer you to a therapist so you can discuss your fears and concerns in a safe space. Often, vocalizing your thoughts and feelings rather than internalizing them can provide relief.

Questions to Ask Your Doctor

If you have been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have questions about how to keep your strength through treatment. Here are a few questions to help you begin the conversation:

• What treatment will I be receiving?
• What side effects are associated with this treatment?
• Are there steps I can take daily to help minimize these side effects?
• What physical activity routine do you recommend for me during treatment?
• Do you have recommendations for someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy exercise?

A Diagnosis Is Not the End, It’s the Beginning of a New Conversation

Above all, hold onto hope because there is always a path forward.

To further help you on your cancer journey, explore SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions.”

WATCH: How One Cancer Survivor and Her Sister Used “My Health Questions” to Navigate Care

This powerful resource, embedded across the SurvivorNet website, was built to bridge that gap by offering on-demand explanations of treatment options, clinical trials, side effects, insurance concerns, and more.

Users can ask questions conversationally, either by typing or using their voice, and receive answers tailored to their individual profiles. If patients don’t know where to start, we provide prompt questions to get them started.

Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.

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