Young mum's warning after 'breastfeeding feeling' led to cancer diagnosis

A woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 has shared her story in a bid to show that 'it's not just an older person's disease'. Laura Franklin initially put her unusual symptoms down to hormones.

But after feeling a sharp pain in her breast, she went to her doctor. Just a few weeks later, she was diagnosed with the disease.

The mum-of-one from Chorlton is now undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy at The Christie hospital and will need further radiotherapy. She is trying to stay positive after doctors told her the cancer had been caught early.

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The print designer now wants to share her symptoms and story in the hope of raising awareness and to encourage other young people to check themselves.

Laura first started having symptoms in July last year. She had previously breastfed her little girl Luna - who is now two and a half - for nine months, but the symptoms started around 15 months later. At around the time of her period, she noticed some milky discharge from her breasts.

She said: "I thought it was a bit strange, it was the same sort of feeling as when you're about to breastfeed. I just didn't really think anything of it as it was around my period time."

Laura said this happened twice over the next two months. She then realised something 'wasn't quite right' after feeling a sharp pain shooting across her right breast as she was sitting watching TV one day.

This kept happening over the course of week and was becoming more painful, so Laura called her GP and an appointment was made for her to go in straight away. At this point, she was told the symptoms could be due to hormonal changes but was referred to the breast