A young Aussie PT thought she was perfectly healthy – then she found a lump in her breast while watching Netflix.
That lump, she soon learned, was the one and only sign of her stage three breast cancer.
Now four years on, she has endured surgeries, chemotherapy, radiation and IVF – and is now urging women of all ages to have those ‘uncomfortable’ conversations that could save a life.
For Karley Spicer, it was an ordinary Sunday night. The disability support worker and fitness instructor from Bateau Bay, NSW, had just curled up in bed after a long day.
‘I was just laying around watching Netflix,’ the now 38-year-old told the Daily Mail.
‘It had probably been six months since my last self-examination, which was unusual for me. Normally I’d check every three to four months, but I thought, why not now?’
Within seconds, her life changed.
‘I found a lump. I didn’t panic straight away – I’d had cysts before, and a scare when I was 22, but they always turned out to be nothing. But this felt different. It was hard, pea-shaped.’
Karley booked an appointment with her GP immediately.
The doctor sent her for an ultrasound ‘just to be sure’ – but what was meant to be a routine scan quickly became her worst nightmare
She discovered the lump in her breast just four months after her wedding
The doctor sent her for an ultrasound ‘just to be sure’ – but what was meant to be a routine scan quickly became her worst nightmare.
‘They found another lump. Then the biopsy confirmed it was stage three breast cancer,’ she said.
‘I went from being a healthy 34-year-old, newly married and planning a family, to someone facing the fight of her life. It was a whirlwind.’
The diagnosis brought a rush of fear and disbelief.
‘My first thought was, this can’t be real. I had no family history of breast cancer. I was so healthy – I was a fitness instructor, I’d done bodybuilding competitions, Muay Thai, I’d never even stayed in a hospital before.’
Karley’s world quickly turned upside down when doctors discovered that the two lumps had already grown into 11 satellite tumours.
‘It just showed how quickly cancer can spread,’ she said.
But the hardest blow wasn’t about her own body – it was about the future she had pictured with her husband.
‘My first thought was, this can’t be real. I had no family history of breast cancer. I was so healthy – I was a fitness instructor, I’d done bodybuilding competitions, Muay Thai, I’d never even stayed in a hospital before,’ Karley said
Karley’s world quickly turned upside down when doctors discovered that the two lumps had already grown into 11 satellite tumours
‘I’d only just been married for four months,’ she said.
‘We were trying for a baby. And suddenly I was told I couldn’t even think about having children for at least five years. That absolutely broke me.’
Almost immediately, Karley was connected with the ‘Pink Ladies’ breast care team, who helped her explore fertility preservation options before starting chemotherapy.
‘They were amazing. They sat me down and said, look, this isn’t the end for your dream of becoming a mum. Within weeks I had started IVF. I had two rounds of egg retrieval and we froze embryos before my treatment began.’
In October 2021, Karley had a mastectomy to remove the breast that contained cancer. Once she had healed, she faced six gruelling months of chemotherapy.
The side effects were relentless.
‘The nausea was the worst,’ she admitted.
‘I describe it as a 24/7 hangover – the worst one you’ve ever had in your life, but it just doesn’t go away.
‘I lost my hair, which was confronting, but I tried to turn it into something positive. I donated it to Wigs for Kids and raised $21,500 for children with cancer. That gave me strength – it made the loss feel worthwhile.’
She also endured exhaustion, body aches, and burns from six weeks of radiation.
‘People think once treatment is over, you bounce back. But the truth is, it takes a long time. You’re not the same person afterwards – not physically, not emotionally. Your whole world shifts.’
In October 2021, Karley had a mastectomy to remove the breast that contained cancer. Once she had healed, she faced six gruelling months of chemotherapy
Karley’s hope now is simple: that her story inspires others to check themselves, talk openly, and never put off that self-exam
Just as she was starting to heal and regain some normality, another lump appeared.
‘In November 2022, I felt something in my left breast. My heart just sank,’ Karley said.
But this time, the lump was benign. However the scare was enough for her to make a life-changing decision.
‘I decided to have a double mastectomy, just to be safe,’ she explained.
Karley says one of the most surprising things was discovering that treatment doesn’t end when chemo and radiation are over.
‘I think that’s something nobody talks about,’ she said.
‘I was put on hormone blockers for five years, and monthly injections to shut down my ovaries. The idea is to stop oestrogen, because my cancer was oestrogen positive. It was like being put into chemical menopause.’
That came with hot flushes, aches, pains – and more delays to her dream of motherhood.
‘But I made a deal with my oncologist. Because I’m doing so well now, she’s letting me come off the medication early so I can try for a baby. After that, I’ll go back on the hormone blockers.’
For Karley, one of the toughest parts wasn’t the surgery or even the chemo – it was telling people about her diagnosis
She told her close family and work colleagues first, then slowly began to share the news with friends
For Karley, one of the toughest parts wasn’t the surgery or even the chemo – it was telling people.
‘Having that first conversation with my family and friends was the hardest thing I’ve ever done,’ she admitted.
‘I didn’t want to make them upset. Saying it out loud made it real.’
She told her close family and work colleagues first, then slowly began to share the news with friends.
‘I was so lucky. They rallied around me – bringing meals during COVID, sending flowers, checking in.
‘My husband was my rock. He let me cry and be vulnerable when I was trying so hard to be strong in front of everyone else. My parents were incredible too, they took care of me throughout. Having that support made all the difference.’
She now urges people not to shy away from reaching out to loved ones going through treatment.
‘Even if someone looks strong on the outside, they still need someone to talk to,’ she said.
‘Sometimes it’s just having a cup of tea, sitting with them, and letting them be real. That can mean more than you’ll ever know.’
Karley has partnered with the Uncomfortable Cup campaign, run by Tetley and Breast Cancer Network Australia, to encourage people to break the silence
Today, Karley is off medication, undergoing yearly checkups, and preparing to restart IVF with her husband.
‘I’m feeling good, I’m feeling healthy, and we’re finally ready to try again for a family,’ she said.
Karley has partnered with the Uncomfortable Cup campaign, run by Tetley and Breast Cancer Network Australia, to encourage people to break the silence.
Every day in Australia, 58 people are diagnosed with breast cancer.
It remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women, with more than 21,000 new cases expected in 2025.
Heartbreakingly, nine Australians die from the disease every single day.
Despite these confronting numbers, conversations about breast cancer are often avoided, leaving many women to face their fears in silence.
‘As uncomfortable as it is, having that conversation could save your life – or someone else’s,’ Karley said.
Karley’s hope now is simple: that her story inspires others to check themselves, talk openly, and never put off that self-exam.