Elaine Noble

This is the story of my family and cancer.

In 1983, when I was 16, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy and radiotherapy but she was told it was treatable and my three older sisters and I were happy and relieved.

In 1996 and she was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in the other breast. She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and told she had 5 years to live.

She died in 2002 and was buried the day before my third son was born.

In 2004 my eldest sister was diagnosed with breast cancer having been treated for uterine cancer over 20 years earlier. She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

In 2006, my second eldest sister was diagnosed with extensive DCIS, pre-cancerous cells in both breasts. She had a double mastectomy. In 2012 and I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a mastectomy.

In 2016 I found a lump on the side of my reconstructed breast. It was apparently some cancer cells left behind from the previous surgery and I had a lumpectomy and radiotherapy.

In 2023 and I was diagnosed with breast cancer in the other breast and had a lumpectomy and radiotherapy.

In 2024 my only remaining sister not to have had breast cancer was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a lumpectomy and radiotherapy.

It has been a journey for all of us and we continue to live after cancer thanks to ever improving diagnosis and treatment. I want to make the most of every day and to that end, after my first diagnosis I began to go to Glastonbury every year I could. After the second diagnosis, I climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and next March I am hoping to run a half-marathon.