Beating breast cancer

Breast cancer affects one in every nine women during their lifetime in the UK and every year around 12,840 women die from the disease. Mother Linda Frew, has agreed to share her breast cancer story with others, to raise awareness of the disease and let others know that you can live with and beat breast cancer.

• 'It's a woman's worst nightmare'
• Plans for a family were put on hold
• After the 'all clear'
• 'I now realise how precious life is'
• Becoming breast aware

'It's a woman's worst nightmare'

In August 1999, Linda and her partner Mike were an ordinary couple, saving for their wedding the following year and dreaming of starting a family. Linda says, 'We wanted children and planned to start trying straight after our wedding in June 2000.'

At a time when wedding presents and seating arrangements should have been taking up all of their time, the couple soon found they had another unpredictable and frightening issue to take into consideration. Bride-to-be Linda was routinely applying body moisturiser when she discovered she had a lump in her breast. 'I was devastated; it's a woman's worst nightmare,' she said. The couple were also worried how the disease would affect their wedding plans. Linda confessed, 'I had already chosen my wedding dress and was worried that I may have to have my breast removed.'

Fortunately, Linda had discovered the tumour early and it had not yet spread to her lymph glands. This meant a greater chance of successfully treating the disease. Her treatment consisted of a lumpectomy to remove the lump (which was the size of a two-pence piece), radiotherapy and regular Tamoxifen tablets and Zoladex injections, to be taken for two years.

Sadly, this medication meant that Linda would be unable to start a family until three years after her treatment, to ensure all traces of the drugs were out of her system. Linda says, 'To be told this at the age of 34 was very upsetting. I knew until I had the all-clear, and was free of the disease, I wouldn't want to bring a child into this world.'

Luckily, Linda's treatment was a success and there was no need to undergo chemotherapy. Regular check-ups and mammograms since the lumpectomy have all shown she is still clear of the disease. Linda and Mike, who she says was her 'rock' throughout the whole ordeal, ventured to ask the specialist about having children. 'I longed for a baby and my specialist said it would be fine to get pregnant. Breastfeeding would also help renew my breast tissue.'

Linda became pregnant and, in April 2004, she and Mike became the proud parents of a daughter, Lucy.

Linda wants to turn her experience into a positive one and encourage other women to be more breast aware. 'Since my illness, I have realised how precious life is. The experience has made me do a number of things I'd always wanted to do but always put off, including learning Spanish and taking gliding lessons! Having a life-threatening illness also makes you aware of the important things in life. I would urge women to regularly check their breasts and attend routine screening appointments. Early detection is very important and raising breast awareness is vital.'

Although it is not possible to prevent breast cancer, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing the disease. At present, the best way to influence your chance of surviving breast cancer is to detect the cancer early. Earlier diagnosis and better treatment have led to a 22 per cent fall in breast cancer death rates in the last ten years.

The most important thing to know is how your breast usually feel and to recognise which changes are normal for you and which are not. Regularly examining your breast during different stages of your menstrual cycle will make it easier for you to detect abnormalities. It will be reassuring to know when and what changes are normal for you.

Important things to consider when checking your breasts include:

• any lump or swelling which feels different to the rest of your breast tissue
• any lumps or swellings in the arm, armpit or collar bone areas
• changes in the shape or size of your breast or nipple
• changes in the position or colour of your nipple, including inversion
• any dimpling, denting, scaling or discolouration of the skin
• discharge from the nipples
• pain in the breast, arm or armpit which is unusual for you.

If you do notice any of the above changes, inform your doctor immediately. Remember, in most cases such changes are not confirmation of cancer, but it is better to be safe than sorry.

Breast Cancer Campaign has produced Guardian Angel bookmarks which show you how to check your breasts and also have handy stickers to put in your diary as reminders for regular examinations. For copies of the bookmark, contact the charity on 020 7749 3700 or email info@bcc-uk.org.

Babyworld would like to thank Breast Cancer Campaign for their help in producing this article. Breast Cancer Campaign is the only charity that specialises in funding independent breast cancer research throughout the UK. Established in 1988, the aim of the charity is researching the cure for breast cancer by funding research that looks at improving diagnosis and treatment of the disease and gaining a better understanding of its development with the ultimate aim of curing or preventing it. Visit their website at www.bcc-uk.org