Romford mum with cancer was told breast lump 'nothing to worry about'

But the 35-year-old mum from Romford is surviving on chemo treatment three-and-a-half years on, keeping her stage-four breast cancer in check.

“I freaked out,” she remembers. “My first thought was who will bring up my son. But people like me are living with cancer.”

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She is backing a Cancer Research UK appeal for monthly direct debit donations to fund regular trials to help find a cure.

Adobea was advised by a doctor that a lump she found in her breast was “probably nothing”. But it grew and another GP thought there was “nothing to worry about” as there was no pain.

It wasn’t long, however, before she experienced paid and then found it hard breathing. Yet still, doctors said it was “muscular skeletal pain” and she was given painkillers.

Adobea said her son Fabian gave her strength

Adobea deteriorated and finally an ambulance was called and she was taken to Queen’s Hospital in Romford for a CT scan. Doctors confirmed metastatic breast cancer and she was put on chemotherapy.

“It was the worst day of my life,” Adobea recalled. “Chemo is no joke.”

She is now on hormone treatment to keep the cancer at bay and found it difficult to mention to anyone, being in denial.

“But it’s important to talk about it,” she now admits. “Cancer doesn’t discriminate — age, height, weight, health or even people into fitness. Being open will help bring awareness.”

Her son Fabian, now 13, knows his mum has incurable cancer.

“He gave me strength to fight,” she tells you. “I don’t know how much time I have, so I’m going to enjoy it. Tomorrow isn’t guaranteed.”

Adobea is appealing for monthly donations to Cancer Research UK to help fund long-term trialling, with 36,000 people diagnosed every year in London alone.

The charity’s Lynn Daly said: “Our scientists have been at the forefront of cancer research for 120 years. We proved the link between smoking and cancer and have since laid foundations for modern radiotherapy.”

Its research has resulted 50 drugs used around the world, from chemotherapies to new-generation precision treatments.

Monthly donations would help plan towards a world where people live longer lives free from the fear of cancer.

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