![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/2e02f5ad-4784-4742-bca7-26788c1722b6.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHolywood woman says habit of checking her breasts saved her life and urges others to do same\n<\/p>\n
Amy Scanlon from Holywood discovered a lump on her left breast in March 2024.<\/p>\n
The 31-year-old was given a breast cancer diagnosis while carrying her first child.<\/p>\n
Amy initially thought the lump was due to hormonal changes following fertility treatment.<\/p>\n
She explained: \u201cI would check my breasts regularly, so when I came across a lump I went to my GP.<\/p>\n
\u201cBetween that appointment and going to the breast clinic, I found out I was pregnant.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the time I was diagnosed, I was nine weeks\u2019 pregnant.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was such a shock \u2014 you never really hear of anyone being pregnant and having cancer at the same time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The news was a \u201creal shock\u201d for Amy and partner Gerald.<\/p>\n
She said: \u201cWe went from being so happy that I was pregnant to being so worried about the cancer diagnosis.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a big shift, but from the very beginning we were reassured everything possible would be done to make sure both me and the baby would be okay.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following her diagnosis in March of last year, Amy underwent surgery in April, followed by four rounds of chemotherapy starting in June.<\/p>\n
She then took a break from treatment to give birth to daughter Mabel in September.<\/p>\n
When the baby was five weeks old, Amy returned to chemotherapy for another three rounds, completing treatment that November.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe staff in the Ulster Hospital have been amazing, right from the very beginning,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing pregnant and having a cancer diagnosis was challenging, but everyone worked together and gave me peace of mind.\u201d<\/p>\n
South Eastern Trust consultant breast surgeon Lynn Darragh said: \u201cIt is vital for women to examine themselves regularly so they learn what is normal for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you know what is normal for you, it makes it easier to notice any changes. If you notice a new lump or any other unusual signs, it is essential that you speak to your GP.\u201d<\/p>\n
Women aged 50-70 are invited for mammograms every three years.<\/p>\n
Dr Darragh added: \u201cThese screenings are crucial for detecting pre-cancerous changes or cancers while they are still small and more treatable.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if it seems inconvenient, attending these appointments can save your life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Amy hopes her story will encourage others to check their breasts.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to share my journey to help other women know they are not alone,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI found comfort hearing about others who had been through the same thing, it made me feel less isolated. Early detection is so key to saving lives. It is so important to check your breasts.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Amy and daughter Mabel <\/p>\n
News Catch Up – Tuesday 28 October <\/p>\n
Amy is now focusing on her life with Gerald and little Mabel.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been a really tough year, but I am so happy to be through it,\u201d the proud mum said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am excited for the future with my daughter and so grateful for the care and support I have received.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Holywood woman says habit of checking her breasts saved her life and urges others to do same Amy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":233965,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[10152,59,102,27031,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-233964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-down-news","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-jessica-rice","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=233964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/233964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/233965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=233964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=233964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=233964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}