A Jarrow woman whose cancer was picked up at a routine screening appointment has spoken out in support of the NHS breast screening campaign.

Sheridan Dixon (pictured left) received her breast cancer diagnosis following a routine mammogram appointment last summer at Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Her diagnosis came as a “total shock”, Sheridan said. “I’ve been recalled after mammograms in the past and told it’s nothing to be worried about,” she explained. “I was quite expecting in August to be told you’ll get the results in two to three weeks’ time.

“Instead, I was told they had found something and the breast cancer nurse would come and have a chat with me which I was just not expecting at all. There was no history of breast cancer in my family and at the age of 62 I didn’t think it was going to be me.”

Sheridan had surgery to remove the lump last September followed by a course of radiotherapy at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, which she completed in January.

Caroline Tweedie, Macmillan Lead Practitioner for Living with Cancer at South Tyneside and Sunderland, who is involved in running health and wellbeing sessions to support breast cancer patients at Gateshead Health, said a breast cancer diagnosis is life-changing for a woman.

Caroline said: “The biggest risks of breast cancer for women are getting older and your genetics – and you can’t do anything about that – but the other modifiable factor is lifestyle such as a healthy weight and diet, low amounts of alcohol and being physically active.

“We are not saying abstain from drinking completely, but consider reducing it – or perhaps having a few weeks with none at all to see how much more fulfilling it is – which can have huge benefits.”

Since Sheridan’s diagnosis, and with the support of NHS and Macmillan healthcare professionals, she has reviewed her lifestyle.

“I eat healthily and am a healthy weight, and exercise more than I did,” she said. “I’ve also re-examined my attitude towards social drinking and now drink less because I know that alcohol increases the risk of the cancer coming back.

“There are lots of alternatives to alcohol and if you can cut down it’s better for you. I’ve been on bottomless brunches where I’ve been the only one who’s not had alcohol and I’m proud of that.”

Sheridan’s call for women to attend when invited for their routine screening appointment is supported by Kathleen Lyons (pictured right), whose breast cancer was picked up at the Cumberland Infirmary in Carlisle. In this short video interview, Kathleen, who’s 53 and from Carlisle, talks about her early diagnosis, treatment and recovery journey.

Supported by leading charity Breast Cancer Now, the NHS campaign highlights the benefits of screening and encourages more women to make the most of regular mammograms, as figures show more than four in 10 (46.3%) women invited for the first time don’t act on their invitation.

If screening attendance could be improved to 80% of those eligible next year (2025/26), nearly a million more women (around 925,000) could be screened, compared to 2022/23 – with over 7,500 additional breast cancers detected at an earlier stage, when they are more treatable, the NHS estimates.

Find out more about breast screening and how it can detect cancers at an early stage at the leaflet NHS breast screening: helping you decide.