This Morning star Deidre Sanders has revealed she has breast cancer.
Agony aunt Deidre, 77, is a familiar face to This Morning viewers, where she hosts regular phone-ins.
And, following her devastating diagnosis, she spoke to hosts Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby today (September 27).
Deidre shared her hopes that other women her age will ensure they are checked every three years.
This Morning star Deidre Sanders reveals breast cancer diagnosis
Ahead of her appearance on This Morning, Deidre explained in The Sun that not shying away from worrying symptoms can be a life-saving decision.
She detailed how she discussed the malignant cells in a duct in her right breast with the the This Morning team before last week’s phone-in segment.
Deidre explained: “This is labelled high-grade, which means it is the sort that would grow and spread aggressively — had it not been discovered so early.”
She also detailed how she pondered over whether it anything to worry about when she first fell achy over the summer.
Deidre’s initial symptoms
She went on to explained she tends to have tense shoulders but realised the ache seemed to be spreading into her right breast.
Deidre added she “must have let at least a month pass” as she wondered whether it just muscular, or aches and pains associated with getting older.
However, she finally contacted her GP two weeks before she was due to go on holiday.
It is the sort that would grow and spread aggressively — had it not been discovered so early.
Thankfully her GP and local breast clinic were on it. And she talked to the advanced nurse practitioner on the phone that morning and was seen in person that afternoon.
Deidre was put on the NHS two-week cancer pathway. This means anyone suspected of having cancer is seen within two weeks for a hospital diagnosis.
And Deidre was booked in a mere 10 days later, undergoing a mammogram and an ultrasound scan.
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‘Request your right to screening’
Deidre was told to enjoy her holiday – but was booked in for a biopsy on her return.
And this revealed the cells were malignant. She now has NHS surgery booked in to remove the carcinoma this weekend (Saturday October 1).
Deidre was also asked about when she had last had a mammogram. And the answer was nearly 10 years.
She noted women in their seventies are no longer invited for screenings. But they can be requested every three years.
And she hopes her experience will help highlight the importance of that to other women.
Deidre added: “That is why I will be telling my story on This Morning today, urging all women to go for breast screening when invited, and women over 70 to use their right to request screening every three years. Please do!”
Deidre speaks to This Morning hosts Holly and Phil
The agony aunt spoke about her diagnosis at the start of the show today.
She told hosts Holly and Phil: “I’m having a lumpectomy so they’ll take out the cancer and some healthy tissue around it.
“Assuming they don’t find it has spread to the edge of that healthy tissue that should be that and I’ll have some radiotherapy later on.”
She also added: “I feel really fortunate that it’s been caught early.”
However, she did admit her fears over the outcome of her lumpectomy.
Deidre conceded: “The reality could be that they don’t get it all out and I have to have a mastectomy.”
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