Coast radio's Lorna Subritzky shares breast cancer diagnosis after Covid delays mammogram

Lorna Subritzky is no stranger to fighting breast cancer. After beating the disease six years ago, the beloved Coast radio host says she's been diagnosed with breast cancer for a second time following a mammogram that should have taken place in December.

Subritzky, 54, is a grandmother, mum of three and one of 50,000 Kiwi women whose routine breast screening was delayed due to Covid's impact on the health system. The Breast Cancer Foundation currently estimates 133 women could have undetected breast cancer in New Zealand.

"Because of the Covid backlog there was a little bit of a wait and I only had those tests in May," says Subritzky.

"Unfortunately for me, they found something this time a bit more serious than last time in the other breast: a grade three tumour and also in the lymph node as well. Luckily a scan has shown it hasn't travelled anywhere else in my body. So for that I'm very, very grateful indeed."

Subritzky, a Breast Cancer Foundation ambassador, says she has "lots to live for": "I've got a family, a young daughter. I've also got a new baby granddaughter. So very pleased this has been caught early enough to be treated."

On Monday, Subritzky will undergo surgery to remove the tumour and lymph nodes which will see her off work for "at least a couple of weeks". This will be followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy and "a cocktail of drugs for a few years after that".

"So, not the best news I could have got. It hasn't been a great year for me," says Subritzky, who in the past 12 months has endured the passing of her brother, an endometriosis diagnosis and separating from her husband.

"I am going to get through it," the brave host says with a smile. "I'm blessed with fantastic family, wonderful friends, very supportive colleagues. I couldn't ask for more support so don't worry about me. I am going to be okay ..."

Subritzky's previous breast cancer diagnosis, a high-grade DCIS, came after she booked in for a mammogram the day after the funeral of a friend who had died from the disease at just 37.

"It took the death of Helena to spur me into action," Subritzky told the Herald in 2016.

"I was always too busy, or thought I was ... I'll never forget making the promise at her funeral that I would book my screening mammogram the following day - and I kept that promise. Thank goodness, it was then that my early breast cancer was discovered.

"I can't impress upon women enough how vital this screening is. I'm convinced it quite literally saved my life," says Subritzky who, as a Breast Cancer Foundation ambassador, supports the organisation's Give Us Our Mammograms campaign, which includes a petition urging the Government to restore and extend current screening programmes.

According to the Breast Cancer Foundation website, participation in breast cancer screening has dropped to 64 per cent, the lowest seen in 10 years.