Get any small change checked out' warns Lancashire mum during Breast Cancer Awareness Month

A mother-of-three who found out she had cancer while pregnant is urging other women to not dismiss symptoms this Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Kirsty Brunt, 41, from Great Harwood had only just stopped breastfeeding her second child when she discovered a lump.

She said: “I just presumed it was a blocked duct or due to hormonal changes because I was pregnant, so it took me about eight weeks before I went and got it checked out.

“I was told quite quickly that it was cancer, and it was such a shock, because I genuinely didn’t think it was anything to worry about.”

Kirsty, a mental health practitioner at Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, was 25 weeks pregnant when she was given the devastating news.

“All I could think about was being able to continue with my pregnancy and luckily, I was able to. After the initial diagnosis, we were then told that my cancer was oestrogen positive which meant my pregnancy hormones were feeding it, so I had to start treatment straight away.”

Kirsty was able to start chemotherapy, and her personal aim was to be able to carry her baby girl to 35 weeks, so she was overjoyed when she made it to 36 weeks, and Phoenix was born via C-section weighing 6lb 10oz.

“While I was pregnant, I couldn’t have any scans, so we weren’t sure what stage the cancer was, but there was a noticeable reduction in the size of the lump, so I felt like the chemotherapy was working.”

Unfortunately, after a lumpectomy and surgery to remove 25 lymph nodes, Kirsty and her family were told her cancer had spread and she was now stage 4.

“I was told that I had metastatic breast cancer which had spread to my sternum and spine. That was 18 months ago. I tell people that my cancer is not curable but it’s treatable which means I can live a relatively normal life while I’m responding to treatment.

“The main things I want to raise awareness about during Breast Cancer Awareness Month is a cancer diagnosis isn’t always a death sentence, I live a very full life, and I find joy every day. I also want women to get any small change they notice checked out, even if they are breastfeeding or pregnant, it’s better to be 100 per cent sure.

“I don’t know if going to get that lump checked out eight weeks earlier would have resulted in my story being any different, but it’s something I’ll always wonder.”

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women in the UK, but anyone can get breast cancer.

It's important to check your breasts regularly so you know what's normal for you. This makes it easier to notice any changes in the size, look or feel of your breasts.

Michelle Martin, GP clinical lead for cancer at NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “The most well-known symptom of breast cancer is a lump, but there are other changes you need to keep an eye out for, and this is why checking your breasts regularly is essential.

“Breast cancer can affect you at any age, so if you notice anything unusual, then please don’t wait to contact your GP, and please don’t worry about wasting anyone’s time – it’s always best to be sure.

“It’s important to get any symptoms of breast cancer checked out as soon as possible - early diagnosis saves lives.”

Symptoms of breast cancer may include:

• a lump, or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit
• a change in the skin of your breast, such as dimpling (may look like orange peel) or redness (may be harder to see on black or brown skin)
• a change in size or shape of one or both breasts
• nipple discharge (if you are not pregnant or breastfeeding), which may have blood in it
• a change in the shape or look of your nipple, such as it turning inwards (inverted nipple) or a rash on it (may look like eczema)
• pain in your breast or armpit which does not go away – breast pain that comes and goes is usually not a symptom of breast cancer

For further information, please visit: Symptoms of breast cancer in women - NHS