Breast cancer: Sisters Rochelle Hollowood and Nicki Hagen diagnosed two years apart

Whakatāne woman Rochelle Hollowood’s “whole life changed” when she found out she had breast cancer. The shocking news came two years after her sister Nicki Hagen’s diagnosis. Hagen had just bought a home with her husband and they were raising their three young children. Cancer was “the furthest thing” from her mind. The pair share their stories to raise awareness about breast cancer and to encourage women to do regular self-checks.

Rochelle Hollowood is determined to beat the odds of her Stage 4 breast cancer diagnosis.

The 37-year-old found out she had Grade 3 breast cancer on her 37th birthday in March.

After having surgery in June, she was told in August the cancer had spread to parts of her body that could not be operated on.

Whakatāne sisters Rochelle Hollowood (left) and Nicki Hagen have both been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Her diagnosis was upgraded to Stage 4 - she was told there were no further treatment options.

“Me and Mum and my sister had a big cry together.”

Hollowood is “holding on to hope” and trying natural treatments to heal her body.

“I just want to do everything I can to obviously prolong time and quality of life.”

Rochelle Hollowood: ‘How can this be real?’

A few years ago, Hollowood had a lump in her right breast which was a fibroid. When she discovered a lump in her left breast, she thought it would be the same.

After appointments with her GP and radiology, she checked her Manage My Health profile online to see if her results had been uploaded, similar to when she had a fibroid.

The results were online and she thought, “Well it can’t be cancer because if it was a doctor would have called me”.

Instead, Hollowood saw the words “carcinoma” and Grade 3.

“I was like, this can’t be real. How can this be real? It was just shock.”

The doctor confirmed the diagnosis.

“That was it. My whole life changed.”

Hollowood was referred to a surgeon and the oncology team at Tauranga Hospital.

Hollowood had the tumours removed and had reconstruction surgery where a surgeon took fat from her thighs and put it into her breast to fill the area that was removed.

“It looks quite natural - it’s quite amazing what they’ve done.”

Hollowood said after her surgery, “they weren’t confident they got clear margins”.

She had an axillary clearance where her main lymph nodes were taken from her armpit.

“Unfortunately ... out of the 38 they took, 13 tested positive for cancer.”

She had an oncology appointment in August, intending to start five months of intensive chemotherapy.

A PET scan revealed the cancer was in multiple areas in her body which could not be operated on.

Her diagnosis was upgraded to Stage 4.

Prescribed Ribociclib, Letrozole: ‘I’m holding on to hope’

Hollowood was told since the cancer had spread, it was less likely chemotherapy would be effective.

She was prescribed two drugs - Ribociclib and Letrozole - to slow the spread and growth of cancerous tumours.

“They can’t say how long it can do that for ... but they said they’ve had high success for that.”

As her cancer was oestrogen-fed, she was given an injection that “shuts down” oestrogen produced in her ovaries.

Hollowood was getting Vitamin C administered intravenously and had a protocol designed for her based on a book called How To Starve Cancer by Jane McLelland, which involved taking supplements, prescription, and off-label medication.

She was recommended to do mistletoe therapy which built up her immune system but weakened the cancer, she said.

Whakatāne sisters Nicki Hagen (left) and Rochelle Hollowood were diagnosed with breast cancer two years apart.

Hollowood said it was about finding her body’s “imbalance” that created the cancer.

“There’s obviously something that I’ve been doing in the past. Maybe it’s lack of sleep, too much stress, not eating well enough ... I look at cancer as an alarm bell saying, ‘Hey, you need to make some changes’.

Hollowood said she had listened to many podcasts about cancer patients who have “beat the odds”.

“I think it’s so important having that in your mind and believing it is possible.

“I’m hopeful that I can heal my body ... I’m holding on to hope.”

Money raised on Hollowood’s Givealittle page will go towards her treatments. She was “eternally grateful” for everyone’s generosity.

Healthy living: ‘What a gift life is’

Hollowood said her diagnosis led to a “deep amount of appreciation and gratitude” for her loved ones.

“When you’re given news like this, you just see how important those people are, the time you have, what you put your energy into, and just how beautiful and what a gift life is.”

Hollowood said Hagen had been “amazing”.

“I have so much love and support around me but no one understands like someone that’s been through it or is going through it ... ”

Whakatāne sisters Nicki Hagen (left), Rochelle Hollowood (middle), and Leaarne Hollowood.

Hollowood encouraged women to do self-checks so they knew when something “unfamiliar” popped up.

She recommended preventative measures to reduce stress daily, such as meditating and spending time in nature, and encouraged people to invest in their health.

“I know that living a healthy lifestyle is incredibly expensive these days, but I say, choose your expensive. Because when you get sick, it’s very expensive to get better.”

She also recommended women research the beauty products and deodorants they put on their skin.

Living with the fear cancer will return

Hagen, 38, was diagnosed with Stage 3C advanced triple-negative breast cancer in February 2022.

At the time, she and her husband Darren had just bought their first home and were raising their children Shaya, 14, Denzel, 12, and Kiara, 10. She also has a 24-year-old stepson, Masen.

Breast cancer was “the furthest thing” from her mind.

“It was a pretty stunning diagnosis.”

Hagen - a project manager living on the Gold Coast in Australia - had six months of “very aggressive” chemotherapy.

Through fundraising and the generosity of friends and family, she paid $60,000 for immunotherapy. Studies had shown “quite promising” results for reducing the risk of the cancer returning.

Hagen had a mastectomy and radiation. She finished treatment in December 2022.

Hagen said she got a “pathological complete response” which meant at the time of surgery, no cancer was detected.

“But with my type of cancer, it’s a very high chance of reoccurrence within the first five years.”

She said she was in a “surveillance” stage for five years and had three-monthly check-ups.

Hagen said one of the hardest parts of her diagnosis was “learning to live” with the fear it may return.

She wanted to raise awareness of breast cancer in young women.

“Learn what your normal is and do regular checks on yourself ... Trust your gut, because early diagnosis can mean that you have a lot better chance of having a full recovery.”

Megan Wilson is a health and general news reporter for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has been a journalist since 2021.