A mum who found she had cancer while breastfeeding her baby has urged women to check their breasts. Jessica Parsons was diagnosed with breast cancer in June after noticing an unusual lump while feeding her seven-month-old daughter Inès.
Initially assuming it was just a blocked duct or another pregnancy-related issue, she was shocked when she was told she had cancer aged just 36. Her rare form of the disease - a metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma - makes up less than 2% of breast cancer cases. And she's now encouraging women to regularly check themselves for unusual lumps or changes in their breasts as part of October's Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Jessica, from Bath, Somerset, said: "To be told I had cancer was a massive shock. I never thought of myself as untouchable but I was young, fit, and lived a healthy life.
"I had also breastfed my son Stanley, so I knew that your breasts could change and feel a bit different. I thought it could be a blocked milk duct.
"But, after two days, I went to my GP and was promptly referred to the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath. Once I'd started to come to terms with the news, I felt determined to stay positive and take things one day at a time."
The human resources worker, who was on maternity leave at the time of her diagnosis, has been documenting her treatments for her cancer on Instagram @life_lemons_and_my_melons. While she is nearly at the end of her six-round chemotherapy treatment at the RUH, she will still have to undergo a mastectomy later this year. Once she has undergone surgery, she will have to follow up with radiotherapy treatment to hopefully rid herself of the disease.
Jessica added: "The care I have received at the RUH has been exceptional. I feel like I can really trust the team caring for me, which makes a very difficult situation feel so much easier.
"I set up my Instagram account to share updates about how I am, but also to spread the word that it's so important to know your body and check yourself regularly – and that includes men too. It's really uncommon to have breast cancer when you're under 40, but I'm proof that it can happen.
"I know it can feel scary, because what if you find something? But, it's better to know so you can get it checked as soon as possible."
RUH consultant surgeon Jamie McIntosh said: "One in five breast cancers is in women before they reach the menopause and we have seen the number of younger women being diagnosed increase in the last 10 years. That's why it's really important to be aware of any changes. This includes lumps but also, especially in younger women, things like changes to skin texture, change in breast shape or a feeling of thickening rather than a distinct lump.
"The good news is that there are some amazing things happening in breast cancer research and treatment development, including many new treatments that are really specifically targeted to the type of breast cancer a patient has. For many people finding a lump won't mean they have cancer, but if it does our team is here to look after you every step of the way."
For information and tips on how to check your breasts, see the CoppaFeel! website.
