A 26-year-old cancer patient was left outraged after a GP ruled out her bleeding nipple and breast lump as “just hormones” and told her she “didn’t meet the criteria” for breast cancer.
However, a subsequent biopsy performed by a breast clinic revealed that the company manager actually had early-stage breast cancer, causing her to need a mastectomy to stop the spread of the disease.
Courtney Bailey, from Newcastle, is now awaiting further test results which will determine whether she is cancer-free or not.
She said: ‘I was told all the time that I was too young. We need to change this mentality that you are too young to get cancer because anyone can get it. “They made me feel like I was nothing.”
This comes as breast cancer rates in people aged 25 to 49 have risen by almost a fifth since 1990, according to Cancer Research UK.
Bailey’s concerns began in June, when she noticed a blood-stained drop of water on her left nipple after getting out of the shower.
She visited her GP the next day but claims she was told she “did not meet the criteria” for referral and that her symptoms were probably due to a “hormonal imbalance”.
Days later, she discovered a small, hard lump under the same nipple and returned to the GP; However, even after further testing, he was still reportedly told there was “no cause for concern.”
Courtney Bailey, 26, was immediately concerned when she noticed a blood-stained drop of water on her left nipple after a shower in June.
The Newcastle business manager visited her GP the next day but claims she was told she “did not meet the criteria” for a referral and that her symptoms were likely a “hormonal imbalance”. But a preventive biopsy found that she had precancerous cells trapped inside her milk ducts.
Ms Bailey was then referred to a breast clinic where she was told she probably had a cyst or blocked milk duct, which would go away on its own.
However, a preventive biopsy found that she had precancerous cells trapped inside her milk ducts and she was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), an early breast cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, around 7,300 women are diagnosed with DCIS in the UK each year. It means that some of the cells in the lining of the milk ducts have begun to multiply rapidly, as they do when cancer develops.
Many people have no symptoms when they are diagnosed and they are often detected during routine mammograms as part of the UK Breast Screening Programme.
However, a small number of patients will notice a breast lump and/or nipple discharge that may be stained with blood, and possibly a rash on the nipple that may be red and scaly.
Ms Bailey’s biopsy also revealed pre-cancerous cells outside the milk ducts and in the rest of the breast. To prevent the disease from spreading further, she opted to have her left breast removed and an implant placed.
Now, she’s waiting for final test results to see if any cancer remains in the tissue, and urges other women to push doctors for a referral if they spot anything worrying.
‘Since I was diagnosed, I haven’t had any feelings about it. I sort of mentally checked it out. “When you hear that word ‘cancer,’ you instantly think of death and I’m going to lose my hair,” she said.
Ms Bailey opted to undergo a single mastectomy on her left breast when doctors discovered more pre-cancerous cells in her breast and immediately placed an implant.
Bailey said she viewed the mastectomy as a “life or death decision” and immediately dismissed any concerns about self-image following her diagnosis.
Ms Bailey is still waiting for the results of her test to determine if she is “cancer free”, but wants her diagnosis to inform others that cancer can affect anyone of any age.
‘Originally the plan was to perform a lumpectomy and the grade of the cancer would determine whether further treatment was needed.
‘But after they found more pre-cancerous cells, I told my consultant it would make more sense to do a mastectomy and she agreed.
“Because having two lumpectomies on my natural breast would not have left me any shape.”
Bailey said she viewed the mastectomy as a “life or death decision” and immediately dismissed any concerns about self-image following her diagnosis.
She said: “It really put my mind at ease because everything has been taken out and I know they haven’t missed anything.”
‘When I was diagnosed, my perspective on life changed. Things like your body image become so insignificant.
Ms Bailey wants her diagnosis to inform others that cancer can affect anyone of any age.
‘The GP and nurses followed the criteria set by the National Health Service. But you cannot categorize a person’s health based on their age. “Anyone can get cancer,” he said.
‘If there is something unusual about your body, it is your right to request a referral.
‘When people don’t take you seriously, stress increases. I’m lucky to have had symptoms and to have been caught so early.
“I never thought that at the age of 26 I would have only one breast, but I am proof that it can happen to anyone.”