Our cancer fight
MUM AND DAUGHTER DIAGNOSED WITHIN A YEAR
A DAUGHTER discovered she had breast cancer just days after celebrating her mum’s recovery from the disease.
In August last year, Yvonne Farrier, now 53, was diagnosed with breast cancer thanks to a routine mammogram. She was quickly referred for a lumpectomy, removing the cancerous part of her breast and, after a course of radiotherapy, she made a full recovery.
At a family celebration in January, the family, from Throckley, marked half a year in which Yvonne had faced and overcome cancer.
Thrilled at her mum’s recovery, daughter Katherine Kirtley thought “that was it”.
But that same month, she found a lump in her own breast.
At first, mum-of-two Katherine thought it might be down to changes in her breast following the birth and breastfeeding of her second baby, Mason, who is three next week.
“Because I was only 28, I nearly overlooked it,” she said.
“A few weeks later it was still there and I thought I had better get it checked, just in case, because of what my mum had been through.”
She visited her GP and, in March, was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Katherine, who is now 29, also underwent a lumpectomy, followed by several courses of chemotherapy, all while looking after her young sons.
Now in her fourth cycle, she says treatment is “pretty hard going”, but hopes to finish chemo in September, moving on to radiotherapy in November. It’s hoped she’ll be in recovery by the end of the year.
“I’ve got support from my family and friends, but it has been tough, especially for my five-year-old, who has found it difficult. It’s hard, but I’m getting there.”
As she works her way through treatment, Katherine wants to share a vital message to other young women.
She says she nearly missed the tell-tale lump, and urges everyone to make sure they’re aware of their breasts’ usual shape, and to check them regularly.
“Make yourself aware of your breasts now, in case of any future changes, because it’s really important to know what you’re comparing to,” she said.
“If you’ve got any doubts then definitely go and see your GP about it.
“I originally thought it would be nothing, but it turned out it was, so you can’t have that mindset of ‘it won’t happen to me.’
“You have to be aware of your body, and get checked out, if not for yourself then for your family.”