I thought I had a massive spot but it turned out to be a deadly tumour
WHEN Siobhan Harrison saw a pimple on her chest, she thought she just had a spot.
The mark was quite high up, so she tried to pop it - and thought nothing more of it.
But the lump just got bigger and the 23-year-old thought that it was because she had aggravated it.
Eventually, she decided to visit the doctor, but was told there was a nine-month wait list.
At a private appointment, she was advised it could be cancerous and went for an NHS biopsy on June 22, 2021.
To her shock, she was diagnosed with stage 2 triple negative breast cancer.
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She is now urging all women, regardless of age to know the signs of breast cancer - as she thought she wasn't at risk due to her age.
When Siobhan initially got her results from the biopsy, she said she thought it was just going to be a cyst.
She said: “I was so upset. It was fast growing, and the lump was now over 2cm in size. Doctors scheduled me in for surgery the following week, it all happened very fast.”
In July 2021, she went under the knife for a lumpectomy to remove the cancerous mass in her left breast.
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She said: “As I recovered from the op, my consultant informed me that the next step would be chemotherapy, but said there was a chance it could affect my fertility.
“So, before I started the treatment, I had egg retrieval in case I became infertile after the chemo.”
In August she started chemotherapy, and during the first round, she started to lose her hair.
Alongside this, she said the treatment completely wiped her out.
"Even though I had known I would lose my hair, I didn’t expect it to affect me as much as it did, so I bought a wig to help me feel a bit more like myself.
If I can encourage other people to check for lumps then I’ve achieved my goal. I just don’t want other people going through the same ordeal as I have been through
Siobhan Harrison
“My doctor decided to change my treatment slightly, so I had chemo more frequently in lower doses and that helped me a lot.
“I had 12 rounds of chemo before stopping in December 2021. Then, in the New Year, I had two weeks of radiotherapy," she added.
The surgery meant the Siobhan was cancer free, but she still had further preventative treatment as she was at risk of the illness returning.
She said: “The treatment did its job and I got the all-clear in spring this year. Since then, I’ve been on a trial which screens my blood every few weeks to check for cancer cells. So far, everything has come back clear.
“As difficult as it was, I’m so thankful to now be on the other side of treatment and I’m now focussing on improving my fitness levels as I went back to work in March.
“All the NHS staff who treated me were so supportive and helpful, I’m very thankful to them too.”
She will now need to go for annual check ups to make sure the cancer doesn't return.
What are the breast cancer symptoms in women?
For most women, the first sign or symptom of breast cancer is a lump or area of thickened tissue in their breast.
While 90 per cent of such lumps are not cancerous, it is vital to get them checked by your GP at the earliest opportunity – detecting the disease early can mean treatment is more effective.
It is therefore vitally important to be "breast aware" - know what feels normal for you, and therefore what changes to look out for.
One in three women do not regularly check their breasts, and a fifth of these women say it is because they don't know how to do it.
However, while the majority of women know to feel for unusual lumps and bumps, there are also other, less understood signs and symptoms.
Now she is keen to encourage young women to check their breasts.
She said: “I never thought that I could be diagnosed with cancer so young, it was such a shock to me and my family.
“I want to encourage young women to check their breasts for lumps regularly because you really don’t know what could happen.
“I’m unlucky to have got cancer but, in a way, I am also lucky that my lump was clearly visible and I was able to get a private scan quickly. I dread to think what could have happened if it had gone undetected.
“I had a scare just last week when I thought I’d found another lump and went to get it checked out. Thankfully, it was nothing to worry about, but it has made me realise that the fear will always be with me.
“If I can encourage other people to check for lumps then I’ve achieved my goal. I just don’t want other people going through the same ordeal as I have been through.”
Nikki Barraclough, Executive Director at said it's awareness that helped save Siobhan's life.
A spokesperson for the Teenage Cancer Trust said you should listen to your body and seek medical help if something doesn't feel right.
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"It probably isn’t cancer, but it’s always best to check, so book an appointment with your GP to discuss your concerns.
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"If you don’t feel like you’re getting the answers you need keep going back, because if a patient consistently presents with concerns, healthcare professionals should listen and take these seriously.”
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