Rebecca Hartley: Early diagnosis and breast screening saves lives

Rebecca Hartley, from Cheshire, was diagnosed with breast cancer aged only 37. Now a proud Prevent Breast Cancer ambassador, she is fronting the charity’s campaign to raise the remaining funds needed to build a new breast imaging academy.

We caught up with Rebecca to talk about her diagnosis, and why she’s championing to change the future of breast cancer.

I was only 37 when I found out I had breast cancer. I wasn’t particularly breast-aware, so I found the lump by accident. I had a slight pulling in my right breast, that I noticed when I was sitting up in bed and that alerted me to the fact that I had a fairly sizeable lump. After a few weeks of sitting on it, which I know wasn’t the wisest, I went to see my GP. I had no family history of cancer, that I knew of, and initially, both my doctor and then consultant didn’t think the lump was anything to worry about. Nevertheless, they wanted to check it out.

I already had a feeling before even going into the appointment at The Nightingale Centre, the home of Prevent Breast Cancer, that it was cancer, so when they confirmed that it was, although I was crushed, I wasn’t surprised.

We asked Rebecca about her treatment:

My treatment started with a couple of operations to freeze my eggs so I could have the option after cancer care. I initially had a lumpectomy which detected early cancer change around the edge of the tumour, so I went on to have eighteen rounds of chemotherapy, and I eventually went on to have a double mastectomy. I’ve now been on Tamoxifen for the last ten years.

The first rounds of chemotherapy made me feel constantly sick and I had no appetite as a result and lost a lot of weight. It’s something nobody can understand unless they have been through it and even then, each person’s experience is different from the next. It affected my mind and my spirit, and I felt like my world was just falling apart at that point. Having a double mastectomy was one of the hardest decisions to make during the whole process. Some emotions needed to be dealt with as part of that. The relief I felt though; I feel like I’ve been able to recover and live my life in peace knowing that my risk is as low as it can be of any recurrence.

Rebecca is supporting Prevent Breast Cancer’s Build to Beat campaign because she believes in the importance of breast screening and early diagnosis:

Breast cancer can be treated if found early enough, and luckily, this is what happened to me, and I was able to make a full recovery. Early diagnosis and breast screening saves lives, and this is why I’m championing the building of the Academy.

The Academy will play a crucial role in training the next generation of breast imaging specialists and address the shortage of specialists across the country. Without this building, it’s going to be impossible to maintain breast services nationally. The Academy will ensure shorter waiting times, improved outcomes, and importantly, increased survival rates.

It will also provide essential space for both the participation and delivery of crucial research, so we can get ahead of breast cancer. The Academy is hugely important in creating a world free from breast cancer.

Thanks so much for Rebecca sharing her story with us.

Find out more about how we’re changing the future of breast cancer and our Build to Beat Breast Cancer campaign.

Donate today, and help us open the Academy doors.