This lady's Facebook post on breast cancer could save a life

Tuesday, 7 February 2017

Hayley Browning, from Essex, UK took to her Facebook page to share her breast cancer story with other women. The conventional advice is for women to check for lumps while standing but it didn't work for Hayley. She found a lump while lying down and it disappeared when she stood up...

Speaking to MailOnline she said:

'It was important to share my learning of also feeling for lumps lying down as this helped me find my lump early enough for it to be treatable. If I had only checked while standing up, I may have found it too late to be treatable. But that's something I don't even want to think about.'

Miss Browning 'burst into tears' when she discovered the lump three weeks ago. She said:

'I happened to rest my hand on my inner left breast and felt something that hurt and then felt it properly and realised it was a lump. I wasn't checking for lumps intentionally as I would usually do that in the shower.'

She panicked after making the discovery but drew strength from the support of her 28yr old boyfriend, Tom Austin.

 Her mother booked an emergency doctor's appointment for the same day and she is set to undergo treatment.

Dr Jana Witt of Cancer Research UK said:

'It's important for women to get to know their breasts, and to talk to a doctor if they notice any unusual or persistent changes. There's no need to check them regularly in a set way or at a set time, just have a look and a feel every now and then and get to know what's normal for you. 

'And it's not just about lumps. Other symptoms, such as a change in the size, shape or feel of a breast, skin changes such as dimpling or a rash, or changes to a nipple, could also be a sign of the disease. It's far more likely to be something less serious than cancer, but it's better to get checked out.'

More photos below...