IT WAS BY CHANCE I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH TUMOURS AT AGE 33

SARAH Perry was told she was not eligible for screening just months before she was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33.

As her mother and grandmother had both developed the disease, she underwent genetic testing to see if she was at risk.

Sarah, now 37, said: “Having got the negative test results I was told I wouldn’t be eligible for screening until I was 40.

“It was two months later that I was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was by chance really. Because I had been through that process I was aware of symptoms and things to look out for.”

Sarah, who lives in Leicester with partner Ricky, noticed a slight inversion of her nipple and asked her doctor to investigate.

She was diagnosed with two small tumours at stage 1-2 in July 2014. They were growing at an aggressive rate and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes.

The charity project manager underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy – and is in the clear for now.

Sarah said she hopes younger women with a family history of breast cancer will be offered screening in future.

“I’ve been surprised at how many other people I know have been diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age,” she added.

“There are lots of women in the 35 to 40 age bracket who, if they were offered screening, would have had their cancer detected earlier. Awareness is really important – people need to understand that screening is something they might need to ask their doctor about.”