Right after my surgery on 6th June 2025
Jess:
“I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35 and finished my active treatment in September 2025. I caught my cancer early and by taking part in The MoonWalk London 2026, I want to share the huge importance of checking your body for any changes, whatever age you are. I believe I saved my own life.
I never used to be religious about checking my breasts. However, I am quite health aware and did check them relatively frequently, if I remembered while I was in the shower. Earlier this year, I was washing as normal and felt a lump on my right breast – it felt different and was new.
I’d previously found a lump on my left breast, back in 2021, but that one turned out to be a cyst.
Even though I was very young to be getting breast cancer, I wanted to get the lump checked out and contacted my GP the next day. I was seen just a few hours later and my GP referred me to the local breast clinic. She thought the lump might be something to do with my menstrual cycle and that it would go away on its own. However, she told me that even if the lump did disappear, I should still get it checked out. I’m so glad that I did.
It was five weeks before I was seen at the breast clinic – the consultant thought I had another cyst, but decided to do an ultrasound anyway, just to make sure. The lady doing the ultrasound saw something which she said was a little irregular but reassured me that it was probably nothing to worry about.
She said she would do some further tests, again just to make sure and I had a biopsy done straight away. It was at this stage that I become quite concerned, but the thought of the lump being breast cancer still hadn’t entered my mind, because everyone had been so reassuring. And I was still so young – just 35. Breast cancer is a disease which tends to affect much older women.
A week later, I went back for my results. That’s when the consultant told me that I had breast cancer.
When I was first diagnosed
The news was a huge shock and came totally out of the blue. We have no family history of breast cancer and on top of that, you never think that it’s actually going to be you. Everything was such a blur and even now, I still can’t quite believe I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 35. When the consultant gave me the news, I honestly felt like the walls were closing in on me and I was genuinely speechless. I sat there for what felt like forever, not saying anything.
I was so grateful that all the doctors had taken me seriously, even though I was very young. I can’t fault the care I’ve had from the NHS. Cancer doesn’t discriminate because you’re young. It can affect anyone.
I didn’t know yet what my treatment plan was going to be, so I was offered the chance to harvest my eggs, which was done at King’s Hospital in London. I had more tests, including mammograms, more ultrasounds and an MRI – to check the size of my cancer. I was booked in for surgery, not long after my initial diagnosis. My operation was called a wide local excision with a flap. I couldn’t have a normal lumpectomy because of the position of my lump right at the bottom of my breast and the fact that a lumpectomy would have left me unsymmetrical.
After they removed the cancer, they then send it to the lab for testing – which would determine the rest of my treatment plan going forward. After I received my results, my surgeon told me that I didn’t need chemotherapy, but that I did need preventative radiotherapy, because of my age, to prevent the cancer coming back. I’m also taking the hormone treatment tamoxifen for five years. My results showed that the cancer had been caught at stage one, the earliest possible stage.
I’ve now finished my radiotherapy – 15 sessions, every day for three weeks, which was incredibly tiring. That’s the end of my active treatment and I’ll continue to have annual mammograms until normal screening age.
The day I finished radiotherapy
It’s been a tough time and I’ve been up and down mentally – a cancer diagnosis when you’re so young does take its toll on your mental health for sure. I’m an online personal trainer and love my exercise, so it was very hard not being active following my surgery too.
I’m generally feeling much better now and am so grateful for all the brilliant support I’ve had from my friends and family. I suffered some really horrible side effects from the tamoxifen though and visited a local Maggie’s centre for advice – they were so helpful! When you’re going through cancer, it can sometimes be very lonely, but there is so much support out there from various organisations and you should never have to suffer on your own.
It’s great to know that people taking part in The MoonWalk London, organised by breast cancer charity Walk the Walk – help fund so many cancer services and charities which help support people just like me.
I’m delighted to be taking on the Full Moon (26.2 miles) at The MoonWalk in 2026 with my mum, my sister and my best friend. It’s going to be very special taking on the challenge with them, after they’ve been there for me throughout my entire cancer journey.
Me at the front. My best friend Georgie in the middle and my sister Lucy at the end
It’s wonderful to have The MoonWalk as a goal as I get back to full fitness. I’ve never done a marathon before. I’ve always said that I’d like to do The MoonWalk, but never felt that I had a reason as such, but now I do!
By taking part in The MoonWalk, I’ll also be highlighting the huge importance of checking your breasts, whatever your age. And not just checking regularly, but if you find something which doesn’t feel quite right, you need to go and see your doctor. If I hadn’t gone to the GP when I did, my story could have been completely different. My message is that everyone needs to be health aware – if you notice a change, it may be nothing, but like in my case, it might be something. The one thing I can take away from all this is that I caught my cancer early.
Early detection saves lives. I believe I saved my own life”.
Thank you for sharing your story Jess and such an important awareness message.
We look forward to seeing you and your team at The MoonWalk London 2026!