'It’s bumpy, I'm emotional': Jaquie Brown on cancer treatment

TV personality Jaquie Brown had radiation treatment on Monday following her breast cancer diagnosis. It was a hug from one of the nurses that brought her to tears. 'I'm honestly, I'm a bit tearful,' she told RNZ shortly after. 'The nurses have been so kind to me; she gave me a really big hug. And it's when people show you kindness that it just unravels you. You’re meeting me at an emotionally fragile time.' Brown, 50, was diagnosed with cancer in her left breast in April, despite years of clear mammograms. A month later, she had a mastectomy. 'We have a tendency to have a mammogram and think, “oh, yep, that's done for the year. Don’t need to worry about that,”' she said. 'But this happened to me in between mammograms. It was probably there for a good couple of years, being evasive and not being picked up because of the way that it grows, which is like a very thin web-like cancer.' Brown shared the news in a Facebook post last week, receiving overwhelming support from fans and friends. 'It's like a reverse funeral,' she said. 'Because when you die, you never hear what people really thought of you or any kind of kind comments. Not that I'm going to die anytime soon, but it was a beautiful way for me to read such lovely, supportive comments. And it really was affirming and beautiful.' Brown noticed a small dent on her left breast one day and initially attributed it to weight loss. Later, she felt a pea-sized lump, leading her to panic and seek medical attention. A biopsy confirmed breast cancer, and she underwent a full mastectomy. 'I was just, what? Are you? No, come on,' she recalled the shock of diagnosis. 'I was bargaining with myself. Am I going to survive? How bad is it? What do I tell the kids?' Brown also reflected on her friend Dai Henwood, with whom she had worked on TV3's *The Project*. Henwood, who lives with stage four bowel cancer, was diagnosed in 2020. Brown mentioned her support for Henwood’s memoir, *The Life of Dai*, published in 2024. She has also been through chemotherapy-induced menopause, describing it as 'bumpy' and emotionally challenging. Brown emphasized the importance of regular self-exams and awareness of breast health, encouraging women to stay in touch with their bodies. She shared photos of a cake she received after her mastectomy.