Love Island’s Sharon Gaffka has spoken out about having a breast cancer scare at the same time her mother was battling the disease.
The reality star, 26, opened up about finding a painful lump in her armpit at the age of 19 in order to raise awareness for others to check their own bodies.
Sharon says it was important for her to speak about it publicly after watching her mum battle cancer and not realising at the time that breast cancer can occur in the armpit or near the collarbone as well as in the breast area.
She told The Sun: ‘For me it was really important to raise awareness because if I didn’t know what to look for, and I didn’t know what was abnormal or normal for me, then had it been something more sinister than it ended up being, I could have been in a lot of trouble because I couldn’t spot the signs early.’
The former civil servant added that she feels there is still a ‘stigma’ around checking your breasts which she hopes to help dispel.
Describing how she found her own lump, Sharon explained: ‘I remember feeling discomfort in my right breast between my breast and my underarm. I didn’t know that that was a potential spot.
‘People automatically assume that breast cancer is literally in breast tissue, as opposed to like maybe in your collarbones, or in your underarms.
‘I basically had a solid lump of tissue, and it was really painful, even just to move around in general life.’
It came about as her mum was finishing treatment and that spurred her on to get herself checked where they found it was normal tissue, similar to a scar, which she was feeling.
Sharon has had a history of cancer in her family, with three out of four of her grandparents experiencing it, as well as fancy members dying of the disease, meaning she was more aware of the dangers.
How should you check your breasts for lumps or irregularities?
Discussing the importance of being breast aware, Addie Mitchell, Clinical Nurse Specialist at Breast Cancer Care, wants women to know there is no right or wrong way to check your breasts.
‘It’s about looking and feeling regularly so any changes can be spotted quickly,’ she said. ‘The sooner breast cancer is diagnosed, the more effective treatment may be.
‘Whatever your age, being aware of all the signs and symptoms of breast cancer is crucial – it’s not just a lump to look out for. Other changes could be a nipple becoming inverted or a change in texture of the skin.
‘While most symptoms won’t mean breast cancer, if you notice anything unusual for you get it checked out by your GP.
‘Anyone with questions can call Breast Cancer Care’s nurses free on 0808 800 6000 or visit breastcancercare.org.uk.’
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