‘Don’t wait’: Model makes desperate plea to Aussies after shock cancer diagnosis threw world ‘upside down’

An Aussie model is urging everyone to get regular check-ups after her world was “thrown upside down” by an unexpected cancer diagnosis.

An Australian model has detailed the moment her world was “thrown upside down” by an unexpected and devastating cancer diagnosis.

Lisa Seiffert said she had no signs or symptoms of cancer, until doctors found a one centimetre lump in her right breast.

The 40-year-old Queensland woman was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer and has now shared her story to urge everyone to do regular self-checks.

Ms Seiffert is a model from Queensland and was based in New York City. Picture: Instagram.

She was diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in November 2022. Picture: Instagram.

Ms Seiffert told 7Life that she had always been “incredibly healthy” and vigilant about getting regular mammogram check-ups because her aunt died from breast cancer.

But when the Covid pandemic shut the world down, it also meant Ms Seiffert – who was living in New York City at the time – could not get her routine screening test.

“I was frequently getting mammograms in New York for about five years but did not during the pandemic,” she said.

“I waited that out in New York with my dog and once it was over I decided to come back to Australia to visit my family.”

Once international borders reopened and she returned to Australia, she booked in for a “long overdue” mammogram.

“They found an unexpected and hard-to-read lump,” she said.

“They biopsied it and it didn’t look good.”

At the end of November 2022, doctors gave her the devastating news: she had stage two breast cancer.

In a previous interview with the Sunday Telegraph, Ms Seiffert said nothing could prepare her for the diagnosis.

“I felt numb, like I had an emotional block. I couldn’t see anything. I couldn’t hear anything,” she said.

Ms Seiffert underwent 19 rounds of radiotherapy, three rounds of egg freezing, and had a successful lumpectomy surgery to remove tissue from her right breast and lymph nodes, 7Life reports.

Ms Seiffert described the treatment like being on a “rollercoaster”. Picture: Instagram.

She was determined to race in the Sydney to Hobart with her dad. Picture: Instagram

And two weeks after the surgery – two weeks before the Sydney to Hobart yacht race, which she was determined to compete in alongside her father – she learned the cancer had not spread and she was in the clear.

In a post to her Instagram on March 16, the day after she finished her last radiation treatment, she described the treatment as the “fastest, blurry, and most spinny rollercoaster” and a “race to the finish line to get my life back”.

Now that Ms Seiffert was given the all-clear, she is sharing her story as part of the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation’s annual fundraiser Heart for Her, which is raising money for women’s healthcare at the hospital.

“Early detection will save your life and avoiding the not-so-fun check-ups could put you six feet under,” Ms Seiffert told 7Life.

“I think it’s important to do regular self checks. Men and women can get breast cancer. Let’s not forget this … and if you feel something off or feel a lump then make an appointment. Don’t wait. Don’t procrastinate.

“If your gut or intuition are feeling off about it, then go.”

Ms Seiffert is sharing her story to inspire others to get regular checks. Picture: Instagram.

She has also worked with the McGrath Foundation. Picture: Instagram.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting Australian women and the second-most-common diagnosed cancer in Australia.

Breast cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australia, with 57 people diagnosed each day – equating to about 20,000 Australians each year – according to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

One in seven women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, and about 1 in 600 men are diagnosed in their lifetime.

It is estimated that breast cancer will account for approximately 28 per cent of all new cancers in Australian women.

In 2022, breast cancer was estimated to be the fifth most common cause of cancer death in Australia – with more than 3200 Australians predicted to die from it – that’s about nine Australians a day dying from the disease.

The Cancer Council says regular breast screening is one of the best ways to detect early signs of breast cancer, and can give patients the best chance at survival.