A mother diagnosed with terminal breast cancer weeks after giving birth has told how her initial lump was dismissed as a pregnancy symptom. Louise Beevers, 40, from Lincolnshire, found a pea-sized lump in her breast in early 2023 but was told it was likely hormones.
Within months, the lump grew into two masses. At four months pregnant, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy. But after giving birth to daughter Suzy, scans showed the cancer had spread to her lungs and was incurable.
Experts say cancer symptoms in pregnant women are often mistaken for pregnancy complaints. Professor Richard Simcock, chief medical officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, said: 'The majority of abnormalities in the breast are benign, but it’s impossible to tell that just by an examination. We encourage full assessment.'
Pete Wallroth, whose wife Mair died from cancer diagnosed in pregnancy, founded charity Mummy's Star. He said dismissing symptoms is 'the single biggest issue' and urged doctors to investigate red-flag symptoms regardless of pregnancy. Cancer in pregnancy is rare - around one in 1,000 breast cancers occur during pregnancy - but early diagnosis is key, with survival rates improving from 14% to 5% mortality in five years since the 1990s.
