Rebecca Bell, 33, has described her ordeal as 'going through hell again' after being given the all-clear from breast cancer only to discover two months later that it had spread to her bones. The sales manager from Rainham, Kent, said GPs dismissed her initial warning sign when she first raised concerns.
At the beginning of 2025, Rebecca had just got engaged and was living a 'very happy bubble'. In April 2025, she discovered a grape-sized lump in her left breast after her nephew accidentally knocked into her. She visited her GP a few days later and also mentioned a pain in her shoulder blade. However, she said doctors reassured her the two issues 'were not linked' and told her it was 'one problem, one appointment'.
Scans and tests in May 2025 confirmed she had triple-negative breast cancer, a type that affects around 15% of breast cancer patients. The tumour measured 95mm by 75mm. She immediately underwent treatment, and by December 2025, the tumour had shrunk to 75mm by 55mm.
After surgery and radiotherapy, she was given the all-clear from breast cancer in February 2026. Despite the 'heartbreak' of her engagement ending around the same time, Rebecca said she felt positive about the future. However, in April 2026, a PET scan carried out for a drug trial revealed that the cancer had spread to her bones. Doctors confirmed that the shoulder blade pain she had previously reported to her GP was a sign of this.
In June 2026, Rebecca restarted chemotherapy and immunotherapy. She said she is now determined to adapt to life 'living with cancer' but feels as though she is 'going through hell again'. 'I didn't really want to tell anyone that it had spread – I didn't want to be known as the sick one again,' she told PA Real Life. 'I had already lost all my eyebrows, eyelashes and patches of hair, and I didn't want to go through that all over again. Last time there was an end point, but now there isn't, it's like I'm going through hell again. That doesn't mean I'm not going to live a good life – I've just got to change my mindset.'
Initial Symptoms Dismissed
Rebecca said she checked her breasts regularly in the shower. After feeling the lump, she immediately rang her GP and secured an appointment a few days later at Marlowe Park Medical Centre in Rochester, Kent. At the appointment, she explained there was a lump but also wanted to raise the pain in her shoulder blade. 'They told me it was one problem, one appointment, and it won't be linked. They just ignored me, basically,' she said.
She was referred for an ultrasound scan on her breast. Three weeks later, in May, she underwent a mammogram and biopsy on the same day. 'I thought everything was fine, I thought they might just tell me I had a cyst, but I realised it was serious after all the scans,' she said. 'They told me they were confident I had cancer.'
While waiting for the biopsy results, she also underwent CT and MRI scans. At a follow-up appointment on May 28, 2025, doctors confirmed she had triple-negative breast cancer and that it was 'curable'. According to Cancer Research UK, triple-negative breast cancers are those whose cells do not have receptors for oestrogen and progesterone and a protein called HER2. It develops more often in women under 40.
Treatment and Recurrence
Rebecca underwent chemotherapy for six months, starting in June 2025, alongside immunotherapy every three weeks. She also had hormone therapy in the form of a Zoladex injection once a month, which put her into a premenopausal state. 'I wore a cold cap during the chemo, but I still lost clumps of my hair, and I had to go through all the premenopausal symptoms at the same time,' she said. 'You go into fight mode because you've got no choice.'
Around halfway through chemotherapy, in September 2025, an ultrasound and MRI scan showed the tumour had shrunk. She finished chemotherapy on December 4, 2025, with the tumour reduced from 95mm by 75mm to 75mm by 55mm. 'I felt really happy and positive,' Rebecca explained. 'Life was good, we were going to get back on track with planning our wedding at that point.'
She underwent surgery in January 2026 to remove the remaining tumour and surrounding lymph nodes. After three weeks of radiotherapy, on February 4, she got the all-clear from breast cancer. By then, her relationship with her fiance had ended, leaving her 'heartbroken'. She said she has amazing friends and family who support her daily.
In April 2026, she underwent radiotherapy to destroy any remaining microscopic cancer cells. The same month, preliminary tests for a drug trial aimed at preventing cancer recurrence included a PET scan. The scan revealed cancer in her collarbone, and later tests showed it had spread to her spine, hips, femur and pelvis, meaning her cancer had progressed to stage four. 'If I hadn't had those scans, I might have just had a follow-up mammogram in a year's time,' Rebecca said. 'My doctors said there was a lot of cancer growing in my clavicle area, and it had been there for a long time. They said that was what was causing the pain in my shoulder blade at the beginning, which I explained to my GP. The GP said it wasn't linked – but that pain actually showed the cancer had spread.'
Living with Cancer
In June 2026, she began immunotherapy and chemotherapy again, and doctors informed her she would most likely remain on treatment for the rest of her life. Immunotherapy has also caused her to have an underactive thyroid, leaving her feeling 'even more' tired and 'puffy'. To get her the 'best possible care', Rebecca's sister, Jennie, has set up a fundraiser. To donate, visit: gofundme.com/f/she-was-planning-a-weddingnow-fighting-stage-4-cancer.
A spokesperson from Marlowe Park Medical Centre said: 'While we are unable to comment on the details of an individual patient's care due to patient confidentiality obligations, we recognise that concerns about healthcare experiences can be deeply distressing for those involved. We take any concerns raised seriously and review them through the appropriate processes. We remain committed to providing safe, high-quality care and to continually learning and improving the services we provide to our patients.'
