Speaking Up on Breast Cancer: Survival, Stigma and Science

This week on Fianna Fáil: In Our Own Words, Senator Teresa Costello, herself a breast cancer survivor, marks World Cancer Day with an open and honest discussion alongside her friend Nicola Guirenne and Aisling Hurley, CEO of Breast Cancer Ireland. Teresa and Nicola speak candidly about their shared journey through treatment, how their cancer diagnosis has impacted their lives and living with the ongoing fear of recurrence. Aisling highlights the importance of the triple assessment, particularly for younger women.  She notes that 24% of women diagnosed with breast cancer are now under the age of 50 and that the disease can be more aggressive in younger patients. The conversation also explores World Cancer Day, advances in imaging, the growing role of AI in detecting early-stage breast cancer sooner while stressing that skilled radiographers and clinicians remain central to care.