A vet believes a Labrador saved her life after he headbutted her in the chest. As a result, she discovered a rapidly growing breast cancer.
Angie Shaw, 58, from Leeds, UK, was struck down by the dog she was treating at a clinic in mid2021. Due to the impact, the vet felt an unusual pain in one of her breasts, which made her very concerned.
A week after the accident, the complaints have not stopped. While searching for a family doctor, Angie underwent several tests and discovered that she had a lump in her breast that indicated breast cancer, which had developed rapidly.
“If we turn around [o cachorro], he headbutted me on the left side of my chest, towards my breastbone,” Angie said in an interview with the Chron. “A decent bump appeared. I left it on for a week but it hurt so I made an appointment the next day.”
Since the disease was recognized in its early stages, the vet took the opportunity to surgically remove the tumor. “I thought it was a cyst. When I was told I needed surgery, then chemotherapy, and then radiotherapy, my whole world fell apart,” he said.
For 18 months, Angie had to undergo six rounds of chemotherapy to bring the disease under control until she reached the stage of remission. She had the support of her three children and grandchildren, as well as friends and professional colleagues. The treatment resulted in her losing her hair and covering her scalp with a wig.
Two years later, the Englishwoman celebrates being completely cancerfree after new research confirms the cure. Still, he reflects that if it wasn’t for the minor accident caused by the excited Labrador, he would hardly have realized he had the disease.
“But if the pet hadn’t hit me with its head, if the cancer hadn’t come on for nine to 10 months, then it would have spread. It would have been too late. This pet saved my life.”
According to the doctors, the cancer grew incredibly fast, increasing by two millimeters in fifteen days. However, experts said that without the dog’s intervention, it would have taken another ten months for the tumor to be detected based on its location.
At that level, the disease would have spread and turned into an invasive grade three cancer and been fatal.
Now the vet gets involved in cancer prevention initiatives and advises other women to be vigilant and always check for nodules, as early diagnosis can make a difference.
“It’s something that can save a person’s life. Breast cancer is almost taboo, but it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”