Margaret Dimech had already faced breast cancer, but when she started feeling disoriented five years later, it marked the beginning of an even tougher diagnosis—brain cancer.
Now, seven years on from that diagnosis, Margaret has joined Brain Cancer Australia’s Consumer Advisory Panel, drawing on her unique perspective as both a patient and a trained medical scientist to help shape the development of the Australian Brain Cancer Registry.
She shared her story with us to highlight just how urgently progress is needed.
Seven years ago, when Margaret started to struggle to find her way out of buildings, she thought the breast cancer had come back and spread to her brain. An MRI confirmed something was there but then came a long and anxious wait.
“It was just before Christmas in 2016. They sent me home with the scan, and I could see the tumour myself. But the specialist was away. I spent the whole holiday thinking I was going to die – but I couldn’t bear telling my children.”
It wasn’t until January that she finally received a call. “The GP rang me and said, ‘I’m so sorry.’ And I said, ‘Yes, I’ve seen it.’” From there, the process dragged on. Margaret was told it wasn’t the breast cancer spreading, but most likely a stroke or brain tumour. Initially, she was relieved.
“At first, I thought, ‘great. It’s not breast cancer. I’ll survive this.’ And then I realised — no, you don’t actually survive brain cancer. That was devastating.”
The first neurosurgeon she saw didn’t want to act. “He told me to go overseas, enjoy the holiday I had booked, and not worry. But I couldn’t let it go.” Following national guidelines, she sought a second opinion and met another neurosurgeon. “We clicked straight away and put a plan in place,” Margaret says.
In November 2017, she underwent an awake craniotomy to partially remove a grade 2 astrocytoma. “The idea of being awake terrified me, but they had this beautiful team who really looked after me. It was an incredible experience.”
The months after surgery were tough with chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Margaret struggled with fatigue and language recall—often losing her words or mixing them up—which made everyday tasks more difficult. She could no longer drive with confidence and made the difficult decision to leave her beloved bush home for the city, where public transport was easier.
Despite being given a five-year prognosis, Margaret’s MRIs remain stable seven years on. She now draws on her lived experience and scientific expertise to contribute to Brain Cancer Australia’s Consumer Advisory Panel.
A trained medical scientist, she previously worked in pathology and rare tumour research, including large-scale data projects. She’s passionate about patient-focused research and the role of data in improving outcomes. “Data helps us understand what’s working—like why one person gets surgery and another doesn’t – and where things can be improved so that all patients can get consistent care.”
She also treasures every moment with her grandchildren—twin boys and a granddaughter born just after her diagnosis. “I remember holding her in my arms and praying to live long enough to see her grow up. She’s nearly eight now.”
