‘If it wasn’t for my mum having cancer I wouldn’t have had early screening. Mum saved my life’
MICHELLE URGING OTHERS NOT TO MISS SMEARS, MAMMOGRAMS
A WOMAN says her late mum saved her life after an early scan spotted her own breast cancer - despite having no symptoms.
Michelle Leaker, 43, from Leicester, lost her mum, Patricia, to breast cancer when she was just 12.
Because of her family history Michelle was able to go for mammograms from the age of 40 - rather than having to wait until 50.
Michelle hadn’t noticed any other symptoms when she went for her annual mammogram when she was aged 41.
But the test revealed two tumours in her left breast and Michelle underwent a lumpectomy - surgery to remove cancer from the breast followed by radiotherapy.
Michelle is now two years cancerfree and believes without the early mammogram, thanks to her mum, she might not be here.
Michelle, who works part-time in a school kitchen, said: “You don’t get mammograms before 50 unless you have family history.
“If I didn’t go for the mammogram I probably wouldn’t be here today.
“If it wasn’t for my mum having breast cancer I wouldn’t have had an early screening. My mum saved my life.”
Michelle’s mum was treated for breast cancer twice before her third relapse took her life in February 1994.
Michelle said: “It ultimately killed her.
“Growing up it was kind of scary. The fear of cancer in itself was scary.”
Michelle added about her early screenings: “At 40 it came back fine.
“When I turned 41 people started noticing I’d lost weight.
“I didn’t feel unwell. I went to the doctors and they didn’t think I lost much weight and my blood tests came back fine.”
When Michelle’s mammogram came up in March 2022 she was surprised when it revealed two tumours on her left breast.
The mum-of-three had four biopsies and an MRI and was diagnosed with breast cancer in April.
“Never in a million years did I think I’d get it,” she said. “Mine was caught very early.”
Michelle didn’t need chemotherapy as the cancer hadn’t spread but had a lumpectomy and 15 rounds of radiotherapy.
She now takes a drug to reduce her risk of cancer and has been in remission since November 2022.
Michelle said: “My daughter is now eligible for a mammogram at 30.
“It’s quite sad. I do check my breasts quite regularly. Luckily, I went for my mammogram.”
Michelle wants to raise awareness to make sure people do not miss their smears or mammograms.
She got her friends together for a tasteful topless calendar and raised £1,600 for charity Breast Cancer Now.
Michelle said: “Medicine has changed since my mum had it.
“I want to make sure people do not miss their mammograms.”