Tanya Hutson, 51, attended a silent vigil in Westminster to highlight the 22 women diagnosed with lobular breast cancer each day in the UK, according to reports. Mammograms failed to detect her cancer, which was discovered only after she found a lump in her right breast on April 11, 2022. Tests revealed the lump was fatty, but behind it were three tumours. In her left breast, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) was also found. Medics initially thought the cancer had not spread to lymph nodes, but one lymph node tested positive. Hutson's second tumour was only discovered after she insisted on a double mastectomy. Tanya Hutson told the Daily Express that she is disappointed there has been no progress towards government funding for a £20m five-year research project since 2025. If funded by Health Secretary Wes Streeting, the study would examine how lobular breast cancer forms and detect weaknesses to develop treatments.
Suzanne Harper had a similar experience, noticing 'puckering' on her breast that led to a decade-long journey with lobular breast cancer. According to BBC News - England, Harper said she considers herself lucky it hadn't spread and that she recognised the puckering from before. Lobular breast cancer begins in the milk-producing lobule glands, unlike 70-80% of breast cancers, and makes up 15% of all breast cancer cases. It often does not show up on mammograms, and Harper had no lump; the disease may have been growing for years. According to BBC News - England, Harper described the cancer as hard to detect and said that is why it needs direct research.
It makes you assess things very differently.
Silent vigils will take place outside Downing Street, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, according to reports. The vigils will be joined by schoolgirls to symbolise future generations. The UK government has not yet responded to the funding request for the £20m research project. It remains unclear what specific treatments are currently used for lobular breast cancer and how effective they are, as well as the overall survival rate compared to other breast cancers.
I consider myself lucky it hadn't spread and because I had seen the puckering before, I recognised it.
That's the thing with this form of cancer - it is hard to detect. That is why it needs direct research.