World Cancer Day: Fareham woman lives to see first grandchild grow up after lifesaving mammogram detects disease

The mum-of-five was called in for the procedure at Queen Alexandra Hospital in February last year, not long after a routine mammogram showed some unusual shapes on her chest.

However, she ‘hadn’t thought anything of it’ and was more focused on the fact her daughter Natasha was about to become a mother.

The 54-year-old said: ‘I wasn’t worried about going to the clinic because I couldn’t feel anything in my breast at all. I just assumed the pictures weren’t very clear on the previous mammogram.’

After a long labour lasting a few days Natasha gave birth to Frankie, Carole’s first grandson.

Carole’s joy was short-lived though as a week later the results of the biopsy revealed she had stage two triple negative breast cancer which was growing rapidly, and she would require surgery and chemotherapy to treat it.

Along with her husband Ian she managed to keep the news quiet from the rest of the family for a while, not wanting to ruin the ‘happy baby bubble,’ but Natasha saw her mum receive a call from one of her consultants and pressed for information.

Carole, who runs an art and craft shop in Gosport, said: ‘The young consultant said to me “Well, you have got cancer” and all I can remember were the words “cancer”, “three” and “rapid” and him mentioning chemo and radiotherapy. It was all just a fog.

‘I’m a mum of three girls and two boys and I remember worrying about my children in case I carried any faulty genes that would affect them. I had also lost my parents to cancer so they did lots of tests. but thankfully I was OK.

‘Waiting to find out if I could have passed anything on to my children was really tough. It was a real ‘yes’ moment when we found out it was nothing genetic and they would be ok.

‘Within three weeks, I had my operation and they took a biopsy of my lymph nodes to see if the cancer had spread. Luckily it hadn’t and that was a big relief.

‘My chemo began in the June and I was told I would need it for around six months which sounded like such a long time. My hair started to fall out slowly but what bothered me was the fact it felt and looked like it was all matted, so my daughter shaved it all off for me and it felt so much better. It was like a weight had been lifted and that I was in control.’

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At the end of her treatment in November, Carole was declared cancer free and is awaiting her one-year scan since her diagnosis.

She said: ‘I’m so grateful for the precious time I have with Frankie and the rest of my family now.

‘If I hadn’t had my routine mammogram and then had the biopsy I likely would not be here to see him grow up.’

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in the UK, but survival over the last 40 years has nearly doubled.

According to Cancer Research UK around 55,550 women and 370 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK.

Now, in line with World Cancer Day, Carole is urging others to attend all routine check-ups, as well as seeking help if they spot any symptoms.

‘Definitely everyone should attend every appointment they are offered,’ she said.

‘I didn’t have any symptoms myself so it would have been missed. Even if you’re not sure when your next check is don’t be afraid to ask your GP. Or if you spot anything you are worried about don’t hesitate to seek help.’

She also urged people to raise money for Cancer Research UK.

‘My three daughters have already done Pretty Muddy with their friends raising over £2,000,’ she said.

‘My sons came along and supported it and we will continue to do the race on a yearly basis.

‘Now I hope everyone buys a Cancer Research UK unity band to show their support because we all know someone affected. It might be a mother, a grandmother a friend, a daughter, a niece that could go through what I’ve been through and any support to help beat this can make a difference.’

Cancer Research UK advises:

If something doesn’t look or feel quite right, or if you think you might have cancer, don’t ignore it - speak to your doctor. Don’t worry that you might be wasting your doctors time, if something’s unusual for you or won’t go away, they will want to hear about it. Remember, whether your appointment is via phone, video call or face to face, the NHS are still there for you – spotting cancer at an early stage saves lives.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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