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In 1988 the world鈥檚 first national breast screening programme for women over 50 was set up in England.

It was Dianne鈥檚 first experience of breast screening and she had been told that it was quite normal for some first timers to be sent a recall letter.

So when she did receive a letter, she was quite blas茅 about being recalled. Dianne then had another mammogram and a biopsy, but it was not until the doctor said to her, 鈥淲e can't rule out cancer at this stage鈥�, that it hit home.

鈥淭he screening didn鈥檛 worry me, as she always checked herself regularly,鈥� explains Dianne.
鈥淭here was no sign, no lump to feel. If I hadn鈥檛 gone to the screening, the problem wouldn鈥檛 have been picked up. I wouldn鈥檛 have known any different until a lump was present.鈥�

Dianne waited a very long and difficult 10 days for the biopsy results and was finally diagnosed with cancer. She had the tumour removed and fortunately responded well to drugs and intense radiotherapy.

鈥淩adiotherapy is nothing to be scared of at all,鈥� says Dianne. 鈥淭here is nothing that I鈥檝e gone through that hurts or to be scared of.鈥�

鈥淭he scariest thing is the word cancer. It doesn鈥檛 need to be these days. The prognosis is very good with the early diagnosis. The biggest thing I鈥檝e found with radiotherapy is you have to travel to the hospital every day for a month. It does make you a little bit tired and wear you down, so all that travelling on top of it is the biggest pain.鈥�

Dianne is now in remission and her prospects are excellent because of the early diagnosis, but she will be on drugs for the next five years.

"I felt I鈥檇 been very privileged in the fact that I鈥檇 been let off, if you like. I鈥檝e escaped very easily with what鈥檚 happened and I wanted to put something back."

In order to give something back, Dianne will be running in this year's Race for Life on 29th June at Sewerby Hall. She will be joined by her daughter, granddaughter and 6,000 other women on the day that will be running, walking or jogging for Cancer Research UK.

She's running the race because she realises how lucky she is to have been diagnosed early and she has made friends with other women in the course of her treatment who haven't been so lucky.

Dianne's advice on breast screening is simple, "Do it. Do it. To not do it, to me, just does not make sense."

"Even if you cannot feel a lump or you feel nothing is wrong. If it鈥檚 detected early enough, the outcome is very good. It鈥檚 no good burying your head in the sand. It鈥檚 by far better to find it there and to have it treated, than to just wait and wait and wait. I dread to think what the consequences would be are if you do wait."

"The screening is there, it鈥檚 available, do it."

If you'd like to sign up for a Race for Life or Run for Moore event that's taking place near you, you can use one of the links below: