Cancer survivor's 'life-saving' plea to all women

A breast cancer survivor from Dover is urging women to check their breasts regularly, particularly black and South Asian women in the UK after figures suggested fewer than half of them do so.

Abigail Chirwa, 42, was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in October 2023 and has been in remission since January 2025.

She said: "Don't wait until it's too late to get checked. The earlier it's detected, the better the chance of fighting it, like I did."

Her appeal comes as charity Breast Cancer Now indicates only 43% of black and South Asian women in the UK check their breasts regularly for lumps.

Abigail was admitted to A&E after suffering headaches which lasted weeks and heavy nosebleeds.

She then found a lump under her armpit and was referred for scans and blood tests. In October, she received her breast cancer diagnosis.

She said: "The day I was told I've got breast cancer I wasn't the same. Life has changed. I think I died somehow."

Abigail underwent six rounds of chemotherapy, 21 sessions of radiotherapy and 18 rounds of immunotherapy, as well as three surgeries and other procedures.

Abigail said: "I had aggressive chemotherapy because I was young. It was very intense."

The treatment left her unable to work and she had to leave her job at a care home.

She is backing Breast Cancer Now's campaign, which encourages women to check their breasts regularly and seek medical advice if they notice any changes.

YouGov figures, released by Breast Cancer Now, suggested almost half (43%) of black and South Asian UK adult women checked their breasts regularly - defined as checking at least weekly, monthly or every six weeks.

The same percentage of women (43%) said they weren't checking their breasts regularly, while 14% had never checked for signs and symptoms of breast cancer.

Manveet Basra, from Breast Cancer Now, said: "Black and South Asian women are least likely to be checking their breasts, compared to the wider UK population.

"Whilst there's been a slight increase in the last two years, it is still showing that women in those communities are the least likely to be checking their breasts."

Abigail said: "The day you're diagnosed with cancer, you're a survivor from that day.

"Those who are still going through those treatments, you've got this. It's not an easy road, but it's very do-able.

"You need your strength and hope to know other people have walked that path and survived it."

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