Mrs Allardice, a former nurse, has always been a strong advocate for women's health and was a member of the Women's Health Group who, in the late 1980s canvassed for cervical smears for women and then in 1990, for breast screening.
"We petitioned and marched and, on one occasion, I was called a communist by an old man and a lot of our husbands growled at us because they felt we were interfering," she said. "But we got off our bums and did something."
Mrs Allardice talked of her anxiety as her cancer journey began.
"Following the mammogram three-and-a-half weeks ago, I had a biopsy and I've had my pre-admission check up for surgery which is next Tuesday and it's all gone very smoothly," she said.
"I reckon if you're going to get cancer then the MidCentral District health area is the place to be. I have a family member in Auckland who is going through the journey and she's had some awful waiting times."
Since her diagnosis, Mrs Allardice admits she has been "a bit evangelistic".
"I've scared a few of my friends into having a mammogram while the BreastScreen Coast to Coast mobile unit is here in Dannevirke," she said. "Some of them have rushed in for their first mammogram. We've got this wonderful service and we have to use it."
And forget the myth about breast screening being painful, Mrs Allardice said.
"It's uncomfortable, but not painful," she said.
"My daughter has become more conscious of the need to have a mammogram too, but my diagnosis has been difficult for my son. He just gave me a hug. People do stand back because they're scared of my response when they talk about cancer."
Mrs Allardice agreed to go public about her diagnosis because she said it was important women made the most of the services available.
"The more of us who talk about it the better," she said.
"Support from those involved with cancer has been huge. I haven't had to confront something like this myself. I did have an old aunt who had a breast removed when she was 92 and my mother died of liver cancer so that's why I thought I was going to dodge the bullet, especially as I was having my last mammogram, or so I thought."
For Mrs Allardice's husband of 50 years, Fred, the news has been difficult.
"It's a big shock," he said.
The couple live in Mr Allardice's family home, Dannevirke's former nursing home, with their daughter and son-in-law, who are wonderfully supportive.
"They cook and my son-in-law won't even let me near the washing machine," Mrs Allardice said.
She has surgery next Tuesday. "If there is nothing in my lymph glands then it's straight into radiation," she said.
Breast screening
* The BreastScreen Aotearoa mobile unit is in Dannevirke until June 19 in the Hub carpark, 24 Allardice St. You can phone 0800 270 200.
* BreastScreen Aotearoa is New Zealand's free national breast screening programme for women aged between 45 and 69.
* Breast screening can find cancer early and that means you have a better chance of beating it.
* It can pick up tiny cancers that can't be felt.
* time and you want to find them while they are still small.
* Screening mammograms cannot prevent development of breast cancer, but do reduce the chance of dying from breast cancer by about a third.
