In 1995, saying you had a tumor was like putting on a sign that read “done for”. For this reason when it happened to me I didn’t say anything to anyone. Until now I had never talked about it publicly, also because over the years, from the moment of diagnosis to that of the last surgery, I have always been afraid that those around me would consider me only as a sick person, preventing me from continuing to work. . In fact, at that time my career was well underway and I had returned from the United States with the intention of giving life to my projects here in Italy.
Diagnosis of intraductal carcinoma
That “nut” in the breast, however, shuffled the cards on the table. I became aware of his presence by chance, while I was touching my décolleté which, among other things, has always stood out for its abundance. I immediately realized that there was something strange in that ball and, therefore, I immediately went to a cancer prevention center in Florence. After a brief medical history, the doctors underwent an ultrasound scan which highlighted the presence of some micro calcifications, produced naturally by my breasts. However, the diagnosis was not yet certain and, between those who opted for the removal of the entire breast and those who recommended a more conservative route, I chose to contact another specialist for a second opinion. At that time a dear friend of mine also found herself facing the same problem and advised me to book a visit with Paolo Veronesi, son of the great Umberto. And so I did. I went alone to Milan; I was afraid, I didn’t know what the outcome of the visit would be, but I wanted to experience the journey in a profound and introspective way.
In the hospital they made me do the usual exams and Paolo came to me with a precise diagnosis: carcinoma intraduttale. I actually had breast cancer and was due to have surgery the next morning. I was not psychologically ready for such a test. I was dazed, confused; I never imagined having to undergo an operation within hours of being diagnosed. Not having with me suitable clothing for hospitalization, I had to go and buy something. In the shop I was robbed of my wallet … A day to forget.
Quadrantectomy and some courses of radiotherapy
After the surgery I woke up and at the foot of the bed I found Paolo, who had operated on me, sitting on a chair waiting for my awakening. It was a very tender scene: he knew that even though I chose to face evil alone, the presence of a loved one would sweeten those moments. The surgery to which I underwent, called quadrantectomy, deprived me not only of the tumor but also of almost the entire left breast. Everything went well and the outcome of the histological examination of the removed nodule decreed the cure, which, fortunately, only required a few courses of radiotherapy. It was not, however, a walk in the park, because in those days, unlike today, radiotherapy was a fairly invasive practice.
I remember that, while I was waiting for my turn in the hospital, many women said they had quit their jobs or could not take care of themselves anymore. To me, instead, cancer did not change everyday life: early in the morning I went to the radio and then I went to the set. Work for me was energy and concrete proof that I was winning the fight against cancer. And so it was. Since then, every year, I do not miss the preventive visits, essential to keep my situation monitored but indispensable for any woman, so as to eventually be able to take that “nut” in time to defeat it definitively.
Cinzia Th Torrini