Fit 35-year-old hit with incurable breast cancer ‘convinced’ her disease was caused by common lifestyle habit

A fit, young woman who was diagnosed with incurable breast cancer that spread to her bones, spine and liver has warned against the lifestyle she believes contributed to the disease. 

Bisma Lalji, 37, was diagnosed with the disease in February 2023 while under a huge amount of stress related to her high-flying job in finance.

While her cancer developed, she was ‘pulling all-nighters, running on caffeine and adrenaline, barely stopping to eat, let alone sleep’.

In a recent Instagram clip, she said she now ‘knows’ this high-pressured lifestyle contributed to her disease.

‘Chronic stress is a silent killer. It disrupts your hormones, weakens your immune system, and stops your body from doing what it’s designed to do — heal,’ she wrote.

‘Your body needs sleep for autophagy (aka cellular clean-up), to fight inflammation, to recover. But when you’re constantly in fight-or-flight mode? That healing doesn’t happen.’

‘Add a divorce into the mix, and the weight of my personal and professional life hit me like a ton of bricks. 

‘But I kept pushing. Kept telling myself I’d rest “later”.’

She’s now urging others not to follow her example and take that time to rest and recover. 

‘Looking back, I wish I had slowed down. I wish I had listened to my body instead of wearing no sleep like a badge of honour. If you’re constantly running on empty, please hear me — your health is not worth the hustle. 

‘If you don’t make time for your wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for your illness.’   

Ms Lalji has stage four breast cancer, with the disease having spread to her bones in her upper body, like her spine and ribs and later her liver.

A sudden bout of agonising pain in her spine was her only symptom prior to diagnosis.

Tests later revealed the aggressive cancer had spread from a 1cm (less than half an inch) tumour in her right breast. 

Ms Lalji, from California, was pregnant when diagnosed which meant she was forced to make a heartbreaking decision. 

In a separate clip on her YouTube channel she recalled: ‘So on top of like a stage four cancer diagnosis if I want to live I have to terminate my pregnancy,’ she said. 

Later posts to Instagram, where she has nearly 45,000 followers, reveal that her cancer is now ‘stable’ thanks to a series of targeted cancer drugs.

While Ms Lalji is certain stress was a contributing factor in her cancer, studies show mixed results.

British charity Cancer Research UK says research has shown no consistent link between stress and cancer. 

The organisation cites a study involving 100,000 British women which found no evidence of a link between stress and the disease.

However, the charity does say stress can contribute to people smoking more, consuming more alcohol and eating more unhealthy food — all of which are known contributors to cancer risk. 

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Britain with almost 56,000 cases diagnosed each year.

This accounts for about one in six of all cancer cases, equivalent to about 150 diagnoses per day.

While the vast majority of these are among women, about 370 British men are also diagnosed with breast cancer each year. 

Almost 11,500 Britons die from breast cancer each year, making it the second biggest cause of cancer deaths among women.

The risk of breast cancer broadly increases with age, but other factors, like family history and drinking alcohol also play a role.  

All women in Britain are invited for an NHS breast screening every three years from the ages of 50 to 71. 

Survival rates for breast cancer vary depending on what stage it is diagnosed but, overall, three out of four women are alive 10 years after their diagnosis.

Breast cancer survival has doubled in the last 50 years in part thanks to regular screening and increased awareness of symptoms. 

Women are encouraged to check their breasts regulars for potential signs of the cancer.

These include a lump, or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit, a change in the skin of the breast or general change in its size and shape.

Nipple discharge with blood, a change in the shape or look of the nipple and continuous pain in the breast or armpit are also signs of the disease. 

While these are not always signs of cancer, anyone with these symptoms is advised to book an appointment with their GP so they can be checked.