“Just 2 weeks ago I was diagnosed with breast cancer, it’s hard for me to say this, but I have been diagnosed with breast cancer.”
In an emotional exclusive with Daily Mail, former “America’s Next Top Model” judge Janice Dickinson revealed that she’s currently facing the greatest challenge of her life – battling breast cancer.
Janice, who was also a former supermodel and a talent agent, was diagnosed with the disease on 12th March after her doctor found a pea-sized lump in her right breast during a routine medical examination. The discovery led to an urgent mammogram and biopsy, after which she was diagnosed with early stage ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – a common form of breast cancer that starts in the milk ducts.
During the interview, Janice said, “It’s still quite shocking. Today I got very scared… I just get very scared and it hit me. But I am not gonna let that define me, the fear. I’m going to get through this, I’ll be just fine kiddo.”
She admitted to withdrawing in to herself and becoming very quiet – a different persona to her usually flamboyant, vocal self. “I went into a world of fantasy, kind of a world of process, I kept saying to myself, you’re just processing this,” Janice explained.
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But the 61-year-old icon also shared that she has mustered up courage for her family. “I became fearful for my 2 children (Savannah, 22, and Nathan, 28) my loving fiancé Rocky (Gerner), we have a grandson, aged 4, his name is baby Aby. I just thought they are gonna flip out,” she added.
It is totally understandable that this battle is hard for Janice to digest, considering the fact that her own mother passed away from cancer. On a lighter note, according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, DCIS is very early cancer that is highly treatable, and treatment for this type of cancer is usually non-invasive, most often not requiring any chemotherapy, unless the cancer spreads to other parts of the body.
Meanwhile, syndicated daytime series “The Doctors” will document Janice’s treatments and procedures every step of the way. Her first appearance on “The Doctors” will air on 6th April.
We wish her all the best and a speedy recovery. Stay strong and fight on, Janice!
Sources: Daily Mail, US Weekly, Huffington Post, National Breast Cancer Foundation / Featured image from ET Online.
