‘Take the time out to get checked’ - Breast cancer survivor Sonia who skipped two screening invites then found a lump
The time it takes to make a cup of tea could help save your life.
That is the message from a Grimsby breast cancer survivor who was diagnosed last October. Sonia Bowers, 50, had failed to attend two previous screening invitations when she discovered a lump while self-checking.
She went to see her GP, was referred to hospital within a fortnight and, after undergoing chemotherapy and five rounds of radiotherapy, she is now cancer free. Sonia, who has no history of breast cancer in her family, has shared her story as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
She said: “I totally get it - modern life is so busy, and when we reach the age for breast screening, we're so busy caring about others, like children, grandchildren and elderly parents, that we forget to look after ourselves. And even if we do have any free time, we might not want to spend it at a breast screening appointment.
“My mother, who had lung cancer, told me that breast screening was painful. Combine all this with feeling like I was maybe too young to worry about breast cancer, and I skipped two invites to be screened.”
Sonia is a member of the Cancer Alliance Patient and Public Representative Group. The Cancer Alliance brings together all the organisations that commission and provide cancer services in the Humber and North Yorkshire area, enabling effective and co-ordinated partnership working to improve patient experience, with the overall aim of achieving world-class cancer outcomes for the communities it represents.
Sonia can identify with first-time breast cancer screening invitees, who can be less likely to attend or make a screening appointment. She said: "Think about all those people you care for, and how they'd feel if you left it too late to be screened.
“For a couple of minutes of discomfort - the time it takes to make a cuppa - you could have peace of mind. The earlier breast cancer is detected, the greater the chance of survival.”
Sonia said she felt an awareness month helped focus people’s attention, saying: “I’d love to think that drawing people’s awareness to it will plant a seed as it did for me. The more we talk about it, the less power it has over us.
“People need to talk about it because if we pretend it’s not happening it’s going to claim more lives. My message to anyone right now is, take the time out to get checked out.”
Sonia said she had mixed feelings when she received her diagnosis. “Yes, I could have responded earlier and caught it in the earlier stages, but at the same time I was focused on caring for my mum and I wanted to be there for her.
“But I’m lucky it could have been different - so a chance I wouldn’t advise others to take. There was no history of breast cancer in the family, another reason why there were no red flags.”
Sonia added: “I feel amazingly blessed, not only to have got through it and survived but to have this opportunity to encourage people to talk more openly about it. I maintained a positive mental attitude because I had a lot of support and tools that I relied on to get me through.
“Me and my partner are now working on a cancer workshop that we want to offer to others, for free [email Sonia@reframetherapygy.com], both for cancer patients to help them manage their symptoms; their mindset, where they feel they can talk about their experience, and hopefully overcome it, but also their families too, because it’s not just about the patient.”
Sonia’s friends and family members also respond to “a nudge” from her, following her own experiences. “Some of my nearest and dearest have openly said to me that they have started to check more regularly.
“If we can catch it early enough then we have more treatment options available and a higher survival rate. Why wouldn’t we give ourselves every opportunity to live our best lives?”
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK. Around 11,400 women die from it in the UK every year and it is the second biggest cause of cancer death in women. However, 46.3 per cent of women invited for a mammogram for the first time do not attend a screening appointment.
The Cancer Alliance’s #getintouchwithyourself campaign is running throughout October and is aimed at women who are reluctant to attend breast screening appointments, particularly for the first time. Dr Marcia Pathak, from Raj Medical Centre in Grimsby, is also keen for people to get in touch with themselves and encouraged them to keep an eye out for the following symptoms:
Lumps or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit
A change in the skin of your breast, such as dimpling or redness
Has one or both of your breasts changed shape? Or has the side of your chest changed in size?
Also, look out for nipple discharge (if you're not pregnant or breastfeeding), which may have blood in it, or a change in the shape or look of a nipple, or a rash on it
Check for sores or ulcers on your chest
Breast cancer awareness is being spread across the Cancer Alliance’s social media channels, using the hashtag #getintouchwithyourself. You can follow the Cancer Alliance on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to help share those messages.
If you or a loved one needs information on, or support for breast cancer, visit the Cancer Alliance website to be signposted to local breast cancer support groups. You can also help the Cancer Alliance by completing surveys on cancer experience of care, and attitudes to cancer.
Visit the Cancer Alliance’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month page to find out more.