A Tameside woman diagnosed with breast cancer after finding a lump she later struggled to locate is urging others not to ignore changes in their bodies and to seek medical advice if they are concerned.
Lindsey Milhench, 45, first noticed a lump in her breast and mentioned it to her partner, James, who could feel it too. At first, she wondered whether the change might have been linked to a scratch from her cat, Pru, who had recently jumped on her chest while she lay in bed.
Lindsey booked an appointment with her GP and was referred to the breast clinic. However, on the morning of her appointment, she could no longer find the lump.
“I nearly didn’t go,” she said. “But James encouraged me to keep the appointment anyway.”
At the clinic, doctors were also unable to feel the lump and a mammogram did not show anything unusual. However, further investigations including an ultrasound scan and biopsy went on to reveal a small tumour hidden towards the back of her breast.
At a follow up appointment Lindsey, who works in HR at blind manufacturer Louvolite in Hyde, received the news she had breast cancer. The cancer had been caught at an early stage.
Lindsey underwent a lumpectomy in November 2023 before starting chemotherapy provided by The Christie but delivered at Tameside Hospital in January 2024. She later received immunotherapy and radiotherapy treatment.
She said: “Tameside Hospital would schedule my chemotherapy early in the morning and I was fortunate to have an office-based job so I would go into work when I felt able. Having that routine really helped. The staff were brilliant.”
One of the most difficult aspects of treatment was losing her hair.
She said: “I had really long hair and watching it fall out was frightening. Eventually James shaved my head for me. That was hard. But once it was done, I felt a bit better.”
At the beginning of treatment, Lindsey met another patient called Janet at Tameside Wig and Scarf Room in Stalybridge. The friendship became an important source of support during her recovery, and still is.
She also found comfort through local support networks but found lots were based in America and had thousands of members. Lindsey and Janet decided to create their own Facebook support group, Bosom Buddies, for people affected by breast cancer in Tameside. The group now has more than 100 members and has helped local women support one another through treatment and recovery.
She said: “It’s useful for people to see someone who’s come through the other side. I’ve met some of my best friends through this experience. If I can help someone have a better experience than I did, especially psychologically, then my job is done.”
Now recovering well and taking ongoing hormone therapy, Lindsey wants her story to encourage others not to delay seeking medical advice.
She said: “No matter how scary it feels, and even if you think it’s probably nothing, get it checked out.”
And while her diagnosis came about in an unusual way, Lindsey still gives credit to the pet that unwittingly prompted her to pay attention to her breast.
“I’ll always have to be nice to Pru,” she laughed. “I guess you could say she saved my life.”
Dr Anne Armstrong, Clinical Lead for Breast Cancer at Greater Manchester Cancer Alliance, said: “This Breast Cancer Awareness Month we want to encourage everyone to look and feel your breasts or chest every month and report any changes to your GP. Most people survive breast cancer when it is found early.
“If you have already had breast cancer, it’s also important to check for signs of breast cancer coming back (metastatic breast cancer), although this is rare.”
