Coco Lodge has spoken of her devastation after her friend was diagnosed with breast cancer.
The former Love Island star, 28, took to her Instagram Stories on Saturday to share the sad news with her followers.
She explained her pal Alex had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31, adding that she had a difficult road of treatment ahead.
Television personality Coco, who appeared on Love Island last summer, added that Alex’s boyfriend would be running 500km over the course of this summer and asked for her fans to donate via JustGiving if they could.
Coco wrote: ‘My beautiful friend @alexjean19 has been diagnosed with breast cancer at the young age of 31.
Sad news: Coco Lodge, 28, has spoken of her devastation after her friend was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31
Looking ahead: She explained her pal Alex had been diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 31, adding that she had a difficult road of treatment ahead
Speaking out: The former Love Island star took to her Instagram Stories on Saturday to share the sad news with her followers
‘I am devastated by this news. Alex is so bubbly and amazing, and the strongest woman.
‘She has a long journey ahead of her of chemo, fertility treatment, radiotherapy and all the emotions.
‘Her lovely boyfriend is running 500km over the summer to raise money for cancer research. Please donate if you can.’
She added: ‘Also remember to check your boobies girls.’
In a separate post on her page, Alex told how she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last month.
She wrote: ‘01.02.2023. A day I’ll never forget. The day I was told I have breast cancer.
‘You never think it’s going to happen to you and I certainly didn’t think I was destined for this path.
‘I was told by my GP back in October that the lump I found in my right breast was just a cyst, as it was so small and that I’m far too young for it to be anything sinister. I forgot about it and got on with my life.
Devastated: In a separate post on her page, Alex told how she had been diagnosed with breast cancer last month
‘Then in January I started getting some pain and after going back to the GP again was referred to the breast clinic at St George’s Hospital where they took a biopsy.
‘I was then told the news no one ever wants to hear. I sat and listened while the consultant talked about surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, fertility and mastectomies.
‘I felt like I was in someone else’s body, it didn’t feel real. It still doesn’t.
‘Over the past four weeks I’ve had numerous tests, scans and appointments and I now have a treatment plan in place.
‘I feel very positive and have found a strength in me I never knew I had. That and the amazing support from my family and friends is getting me through this.
‘I hope by sharing my journey on here I can raise awareness, remind everyone to check themselves regularly and remember to always listen to your gut.
‘If you don’t agree with what your GP says, ask to be referred. We know our bodies better than anyone else.
‘If I can inspire and help anyone else who has to go through this then that’s a positive.’
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
Breast cancer develops from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding breast tissue it is called an ‘invasive’ breast cancer. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in women over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging means how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance of developing breast cancer, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most breast lumps are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000
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