Cassandra Thorburn, known for her appearance on Dancing with the Stars and her high-profile divorce from former TV host Karl Stefanovic, is now battling an extremely rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. The mother of three has been diagnosed with occult triple-negative breast cancer, a condition that accounts for just 0.03 per cent of all breast cancer cases in Australia.
Rare Diagnosis and Personal Fight
Thorburn shared her diagnosis publicly in February, posting a video and photo on social media showing her freshly shaved head. "To realise how rare it was, was quite scary and made me feel quite alone," she told 7NEWS. "It's not a 'why me', it's 'this is why it is me', to raise awareness for something that's so rare." She chose to control the narrative by announcing the news herself, saying, "I didn't want it to be something that someone heard about or people gossiped about."
Medical Details and Treatment
Dr. Kylie Snook, a Sydney-based specialist oncoplastic breast surgeon, explained that occult breast cancer appears in the lymph nodes first, raising questions about its origin. For Thorburn, it showed up as a grey area under her arm during a mammogram. Treatment includes chemotherapy, immunotherapy, radiation, and surgery. Thorburn has completed chemotherapy and continues with immunotherapy, with radiation and surgery ahead. "Absolutely, this is the toughest thing I've had to deal with. I've got three children, hoping to be around for a very long time," she said.
Advocacy and Awareness
Thorburn spoke at the Sydney Breast Cancer Foundation event, describing her experience as intensely personal. "Life is not a game of luck and I have and will continue to thrive, regardless of what life throws at me," she told the audience. She urges all women to take breast screen reminders seriously. Two months shy of her 55th birthday, with her youngest child finishing school, Thorburn had planned to focus on herself—but not in this way.
