'It's better to be safe than sorry' (From Witney Gazette)

'It's better to be safe than sorry'

9:00am Wednesday 18th October 2006 in Witney By Phil Vinter

NAOMI Parry, who was one of the youngest women in Britain to develop breast cancer, is urging other women not to make the mistake she did when she first spotted a lump.

Ms Parry, who works for the Blue Cross pet charity, in Burford, was only 26 when she found a 2.1cm lump, but, because it caused her no pain, she ignored it, as she didn't want to waste her doctor's time.

It was only when a friend, who was a nurse, told her to get it checked, that she did got to the doctors - and she was diagnosed with the disease in November 2004.

Being only 26 when she developed cancer, she is one of only 133 women a year between the ages of 25 and 29 in the UK to get the disease.

A year after she was given the all-clear following chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment, she checks her body for lumps regularly, and she wants to send a message for women of all ages to do the same.

She said: "I have no idea why I had cancer. There is no family history of it, and I was told it was not hormone-related.

"It was quite difficult to come to terms with, but my family and friends were very supportive. It was a bit of a shock at first, and did not really sink in, but I am the sort of person who just wants to know what I have to do to get better."

Naomi Parry

"It was quite difficult to come to terms with, but my family and friends were very supportive. It was a bit of a shock at first, and did not really sink in, but I am the sort of person who just wants to know what I have to do to get better."

Although Ms Parry was extremely young to get cancer, she thinks her youthfulness made it easier for her to fight the disease.

She added: "It meant I could cope better with the treatment than someone who is older. It is really important for women to check themselves. I did not feel poorly, and so was worried that I was wasting the doctor's time. So I put it off for a while, thinking maybe it will go away. I was lucky. It is much better to be safe than sorry."

One in nine women will develop breast cancer at some point in their lives, and the risk increases with age - the older the woman, the higher the risk. Cancer Research UK Community fundraiser for Oxfordshire, Nicola Hunter, added: "The good news is that thanks to research, better treatments, and earlier detection, the death rate for breast cancer has fallen by a fifth over the past decade.

"Breast cancer affects so many women every year, and joining the Join Together campaign is a great way to support them by raising money for Cancer Research UK's work to find new ways of treating, curing, and preventing the disease."

Ms Parry wants local people to back Cancer Research UK's Join Together Campaign by organising a pink fundraising party at home or at work. To register for a fundraising pack, contact the local fundraising office, on 08701 602040.