Anna recounts breast cancer diagnosis after Park Joo-ho urged her to get tested

Anna, wife of former footballer Park Joo-ho, has recalled how her husband encouraged her to get tested after she noticed something unusual, leading to the discovery of breast cancer. Speaking with her doctor, she described enduring chemotherapy and learning that the cancer had completely disappeared, a finding confirmed during surgery.

The conversation appeared in a video posted on the YouTube channel With Anna on the 15th, titled “My daily life | Talking about breast cancer with my attending physician, Professor Kim Hee-jung of Asan Medical Center.” Anna and her doctor, Professor Kim Hee-jung of Asan Medical Center, revisited her diagnosis, treatment and emotions at the time.

“It was a strange feeling. I didn’t expect something like this to happen to me,” Anna said. “There was no history of cancer or breast cancer in my family. I thought 30 was too young for something like this to happen.”

She said Park Joo-ho urged her to get checked, and she subsequently underwent a biopsy. Kim Hee-jung explained that Anna’s age and lack of family history would have made breast cancer difficult to suspect initially. Young women can experience breast firmness associated with their menstrual cycle, making it easy to regard such changes as temporary, the doctor said, emphasizing regular health checkups and monthly self-examinations.

Kim Hee-jung recalled that Anna’s response to chemotherapy was particularly strong. “The chemotherapy worked so well that it stayed in my memory. The response was so good that the lump was barely palpable, and it was almost invisible on the MRI just before surgery,” the doctor said.

The tumor was initially considerable in size but shrank markedly with treatment, Kim Hee-jung explained. Examination during surgery confirmed that the cancer had completely disappeared, a state described as complete remission.

Anna also discussed wanting to shave her head before chemotherapy so she could donate her hair while it was still healthy. “I thought it would be good to donate it while my hair was still healthy, because someone could use it to make a wig,” she said. People close to her discouraged her, and she did not carry out the plan.

“It wasn’t my husband. My husband is always on my side,” Anna added, expressing affection for Park Joo-ho and his support during treatment.

When her hair began falling out, she regretted the missed opportunity to donate it. “I thought it might have helped someone if I had donated it beforehand,” she said. Still, she accepted that it was “just hair” and believed it would grow back.

She also recalled horizontal lines forming on her nails during chemotherapy. Looking at those marks, she felt she could count how many rounds of treatment she had received.

Medication taken after chemotherapy caused substantial swelling and persistent tearing, Anna said. “Whenever that happened, I thought, ‘The medicine is working.’” She recalled her doctor’s explanation and said trusting the treatment helped her endure the difficult period and its physical effects.

Anna, who disclosed her breast cancer illness in 2022, has three children with Park Joo-ho: Na-eun, Geon-hu and Jin-u. She is currently pregnant with their fourth child.

Her discussion with Kim Hee-jung highlighted the importance of having unusual symptoms checked and of not dismissing the possibility of illness solely because someone is young or has no family history.

Read the original (Korean)