COVID test leads to breast cancer diagnosis - How faith fuelled district constable’s triumphant victory over dreaded disease

What started as a routine COVID-19 test turned into a life-changing moment for 52-year-old Cashmine Warren. Returning from vacation, Warren was battling a persistent bout of COVID that lasted six weeks. Frustrated by her slow recovery, she decided to visit the hospital for help. While there, she requested a mammogram - a test she faithfully took every year.

Her diligence wasn't random. The St Mary resident had discovered a lump eight years earlier, prompting annual mammograms ever since. Doctors also informed her that she had fibrocystic breasts, a condition affecting premenopausal women.

However, this visit took a turn. During the exam, the medical technologist informed Warren that she needed a biopsy and would have to return the following week for the results.

"I said, 'Monday? Something must be wrong then.' I sent my niece to collect the results, and when I saw them, it said 'highly cancerous,'" the mother of two recalled, reflecting on the fateful day -- January 17, 2022 - when she received the breast cancer diagnosis.

But deep down, Warren had already suspected the worst. "To be honest, I knew I had breast cancer before they told me, because there was dimpling in my breast. While I was waiting to do the COVID-19 test, I saw one of the posters and thought, 'I have that symptom, so I have breast cancer,'" she said.

Within just five days, Warren, a district constable with almost 30 years of service, made a brave decision - she opted for surgery to remove her right breast. The cancer had spread, and she was determined to fight it head-on, starting treatment immediately afterwards.

Armed with advice from a friend's mother, herself a breast cancer survivor, Warren prepared for the tough road ahead. She endured 12 weeks of chemotherapy, followed by 15 days of radiation, and even experienced the emotional toll of losing her hair.

"After the surgery, my friend told me that everything is going to be alright. I would have dreams during my treatment, and it was a testimony that God is with me. I had a lot of support from my two children, who would take turns to take me to treatment," she said.

Looking back, Warren, who is now cancer-free, believes her faith in God played a vital role in her recovery.

"I can't say otherwise because it is what I know. I had stopped going to church for a while and when I reconciled with God, when I was diagnosed with cancer, my faith got stronger. God has been good to me. I have made a full recovery, and I give God thanks. I think God healing me was His way of giving me a platform to talk about Him. Everything I do now helps me lift my faith. Seeing how God has taken me through breast cancer has made my life more meaningful," Warren said.

Her story is one of courage, faith, and resilience -- a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is hope. Breast cancer remains the leading cancer among Jamaican women.