Wimbledon finalist reveals she played entire season and won Olympic bronze while receiving treatment for breast cancer
GABRIELA DABROWSKI has revealed that she has played through the 2024 season with breast cancer.
The Wimbledon finalist shared her battle with a heartfelt post on social media.
Dabrowski, 32,has kept her diagnosis under wraps since she was told in April.
The tennis ace said that she first detected a lump in early 2023 but was initially told that it was not a cause for concern.
However, a scan later in the year showed that she did have cancer.
The world No3 has insisted that she is "OK" in her for her 36.7k followers.
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She wrote: "I know this will come as a shock to many, but I am OK and I will be OK. Early detection saves lives."
Dabrowski kept the diagnosis quiet and only told those closest to her in order to "figure everything out".
The Canadian continued in her post to insist that she is sharing her news now as a way to help others.
She added: "It all seems surreal.
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"Why am I sharing my story now? For a long time I wasn't ready to expose myself to the possible attention and questions I'd have gotten before.
"I wanted to figure everything out and handle things privately with only those closest to me in the loop.
"There were so many unknowns and so much learning and research to be done.
"Currently, I'm in a place where I have a better grasp of my treatment, side effects and how to manage them.
"My intentions in sharing some of my experience are to emphasise the quality of life one can maintain when cancer is detected early.
"When you have access to doctors and other health care practitioners who are highly skilled and dedicated to their craft, when you take care of your mental, physical and spiritual wellbeing, and when you surround yourself with people who truly have your back (and your front)."
Dabrowski has not let the diagnosis affect her on the court.
In her first tournament after surgery, she won the Nottingham grass-court title with New Zealand's Erin Routliffe.
The duo then reached the final at Wimbledon but were beaten by Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend.
She then delayed treatment in order to represent Canada at the Paris Olympics in which she won bronze.
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Dabrowski ended her season with victory at the WTE Finals with Routliffe.
In doing so, she became the first-ever Canadian to win the title.
Cancer screenings in England
CATCHING cancer early gives you the best chance of survival, and a huge part of that is attending regular screenings.
NHS programmes can help diagnose the disease, or risk of it, and improve the likelihood of successful treatment.
There are three national screening programmes in England: cervical screening, breast screening and bowel screening.
"If you are eligible, please make every effort to have your screening test as they can detect a problem early, before you have any symptoms. ," the NHS says.
"Finding out about a problem early can mean that treatment is more effective."
Cervical screening
This is offered in England to people with a cervix aged 25 to 64 and is routinely carried out every three years up to the age of 49, and every five from 50 to 64.
Depending on the result, people may be recalled earlier.
During a cervical screening, samples are tested for high risk Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which causes nearly all cervical cancers.
Those that test positive are then analysed further.
Breast screening
Breast screenings, which involve an X-ray test called a mammogram that can spot cancers when they are too small to see or feel, are usually offered to women aged 50 to 71 in England.
But the NHS is trialling them for women under 50 if they have a high risk of developing breast cancer.
Bowel screening
This test detects whether patients are showing any early signs of cancer.
It is available to everyone aged 54 to 74, with the programme gradually expanding to those 50-plus after The Sun's No Time 2 Lose campaign.
Currently, those aged 54 to 74 are automatically sent an at-home test kit every two years, so make sure your GP has your correct address.
The at-home test involves providing a small poo sample to be checked for tiny amounts of blood, which could be caused by cancer.
If you're 75 or over, you can ask for a kit every two years by phoning the free bowel cancer screening helpline on 0800 707 60 60.
Source: NHS