But more than anything the George Town mother realised how lucky she was to be supported through her recovery.

It was this support network that formed the catalyst for The Missing Pieces - a Relay for Life team that has raised more than $35,000 for the Cancer Council since 2011.

"I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2009, cancer in the femur, and went through six months of surgery and treatment," Ms Flanagan said.

"At the end of that, we decided to get the girls together and do Relay. You've got to get a laugh out of something horrible."

When the 2020 Relay for Life was cancelled due to COVID-19, Ms Flanagan and The Missing Pieces went back to her home at George Town to host their mini-overnight relay.

"We set up in the backyard and just kind of walked around the block, and around our street until the morning," Ms Flanagan said.

"It doesn't hurt to be cold and uncomfortable for a bit because people with cancer are going through far worse things. We just felt we should do something."

Now, the team is back and they are already breaking records ahead of next year's event. They've also picked up some new members, with Ms Flanagan's pharmacist Minh Lam and GP Dr Brian Bowring both shaving their heads to help the cause.

"Dr Bowring treated me when I had my cancer, he is my local GP. So they see it every day, people with cancer," Ms Flanagan said.

"I think it's just really nice of them to help us get the extra money that's needed."

The team has already raised close to $7000 and have decided to push their target up to $10,000.

While Ms Flanagan still lives with the after-effects of her cancer, having suffered heart and nerve damage, she said the experience had helped put things into perspective.

"You realise how lucky you really are," she said. "I can see where the money had gone. So even $2 helps because it all adds up to something."

Cancer Council Tasmania had set a fundraising goal of $1 million for the 20th-anniversary Relay for Life event this year. Chief executive Penny Egan said despite cancelling five out of the scheduled six events, more than $500,000 had still be raised.

"Relay For Life also encompasses the full experience of living with cancer," she said.

"For every person who is walking with their mother or sister or father who has survived a cancer diagnosis, there is a group alongside them who are walking in remembrance of someone who has lost their life to this disease."

Relay For Life 2021