Australian model’s desperate plea after cancer shock

Lisa Seiffert is sharing her story to educate others about getting checked and trusting their intuition. Photo / Instagram

An Australian model has revealed how her world was “thrown upside down” when, after having no other symptoms, her doctor found a lump in her breast and diagnosed her with stage 2 breast cancer.

Lisa Seiffert, 40, from Queensland, is now speaking out to encourage others to do regular self checks.

In an interview with Australian news outlet 7Life, Seiffert says she was living in New York when the Covid pandemic hit and wasn’t able to keep up with her regular mammograms.

“I was frequently getting mammograms in New York for about five years but did not during the pandemic.

“I waited that out in New York with my dog and once it was over I decided to come back to Australia to visit my family.”

While home, Seiffert booked in for a mammogram and says, “They found an unexpected and hard-to-read lump.

“They biopsied it and it didn’t look good.”

By November of last year, she had a devastating diagnosis: stage 2 breast cancer.

Seiffert underwent surgery and 19 rounds of radiation to treat stage two breast cancer. Photos / Instagram

Seiffert told the Sunday Telegraph the news left her feeling “numb” and as if she had “an emotional block”.

“I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything,”

According to 7Life, Seiffert’s treatment involved a lumpectomy to remove breast tissue and lymph nodes and 19 rounds of radiation.

She also underwent three rounds of egg freezing.

After her final radiation treatment she took to Instagram where she described her ordeal as the “fastest, blurry, and most spinny rollercoaster” and a “race to the finish line to get my life back”.

Two weeks post surgery, Seiffert was given the all clear.

“Early detection will save your life and avoiding the not-so-fun check-ups could put you six feet under,” Seiffert told 7Life.

“I think it’s important to do regular self checks. Men and women can get breast cancer. Let’s not forget this … and if you feel something off or feel a lump then make an appointment. Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate.

“If your gut or intuition are feeling off about it, then go.”

While breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia, it’s the third most diagnosed in New Zealand where it accounts for 600 deaths a year, according to the Ministry of Health.