Julia Bradbury's warning for women with 'dense breasts'

Julia Bradbury has shared images from her mammogram as she raised awareness for breast cancer and the increased risks associated with having dense breasts.

The TV star was diagnosed with breast cancer in September 2021, then underwent a single mastectomy in the October and is now in remission.

Having shared her journey and recovery very openly, the 53-year-old was also keen to point out how difficult it was for her to receive her diagnosis in the first place due to the composition of her breasts.

She confirmed that ‘it took an ultrasound and an entire year to finally confirm my diagnosis’.

The Countryfile presenter and walking enthusiast marked World Dense Breast Day on Wednesday by showing images of herself undergoing her mammogram, as well as the scan itself.

Julia was seen taking a selfie as she undertook the procedure, leaning into the equipment, and she also shared photos of herself posing covering her chest and a look at the actual image of her own breast from the mammogram.

‘I have dense breasts. What does that mean? It means cancerous tumours are more difficult to see on a mammogram. One doctor described it as looking for a snowflake in a snowstorm,’ she explained in the caption.

The star also helpfully provided an explanation behind dense breasts, revealing that it was where a higher proportion of the breasts are made up of glandular tissue and fibrous tissue than fatty tissue. 

Describing the issues this had caused her, she continued: ‘My tumour was missed on two separate occasions when I went for a mammogram to investigate a lump I could feel in my left breast.

‘It took an ultrasound and an entire year to finally confirm my diagnosis.’

She signed off with an encouraging call to action, asking her followers to help ‘raise awareness about the challenges of dense breasts and emphasise the importance of seeking supplementary screenings’.

In October, Julia was nominated in the authored documentary category for her revealing ITV film Julia Bradbury: Breast Cancer and Me at the National Television Awards, losing out to Kate Garraway’s documentary Caring For Derek.

While speaking to Metro.co.uk on the red carpet at the NTAs at Wembley Arena, Julia called it ‘incredible’ to be there and to be recognised for her documentary about her diagnosis and treatment.

Earlier this year, she also expressed a desire to live off the grid, a great believer in the ‘power and importance’ of nature.

Speaking to The Sun, the star – who lives in London – said: ‘I’d love to live off grid. I love the idea of it [although] I’m not sure practically how that would work with my partner’s work!

‘I’d like to disappear into a jungle for three months of the year and just go and live that kind of life, call it an extended I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, only without eating the kangaroo a***holes!’

Julia added that nature can be ‘incredibly good for our health’.

She shares son Zephyr, 12, and twin girls Zena and Xanthe, eight, with her real estate developer husband Gerard Cunningham.

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