Sarah Cawood has spoken of her gratitude at surviving breast cancer while encouraging people to check themselves for lumps.
The television presenter, 51, who previously fronted 90s favourites Live And Kicking and Top Of The Pops, revealed in September 2022 that she had been diagnosed with stage one breast cancer after doctors discovered a lump during her routine mammogram.
She underwent a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy and long-term hormone treatment.
On Monday she took to Instagram to share some throwback pictures of herself while in hospital for the procedure.
She wrote: ‘Remembering my own cancer journey on #worldcancerday. I feel very lucky: a routine mammogram picked up my stage 1, grade 1 lump and it was gone within 6 weeks.
‘Routine mammograms save so many lives, so never put off making your appointment.
‘You never know what curveballs life is going to throw your way, but how you deal with them is the key to thriving during and after treatment.
‘I’m more grateful for my little life than ever. For the support from my friends and family, for the pink sisters and misters I have met along the way, for the NHS for saving my life.
‘There is nothing quite like a cancer diagnosis to get your life in perspective: I don’t sweat the small stuff anymore and every day when I wake up and breathe, and know I’m healthy, is a source of pure joy.
‘So don’t put off that mammogram ladies.
‘To anyone living through a cancer diagnosis and treatment at the moment: I send my love, my healing wishes and my DMs are always open.
‘Love to you all, but especially to my pink sisters today and remembering the good souls we have lost along the way…
‘Also CHECK YOUR BOOBIES AND CHECK YOUR PECS!’
In the photos Sarah posted on social media, she could be seen in her hospital gown as she prepared to undergo her lumpectomy.
The surgeon’s markings could be seen in her breast in the pictures which were taken on the ward.
She also posted a snap of herself in a bikini which was taken after returning home following the procedure.
Sarah previously explained the moment she received her diagnosis in 2022, saying that after undergoing a routine mammogram doctors sent her for a follow-up, having discovered a lump in her breast.
Following an ultrasound and a biopsy, she was told that the lump wasn’t a cyst, and she assumed the worst as she headed to meet the surgeon.
Despite receiving a cancer diagnosis, Sarah, who lives in Essex with her husband Andy Merry and their two children, said doctors reassured her that the condition was treatable.
The TV personality even joked it was the ‘Carlsberg of breast cancers’ in reference to the popular ‘if Carlsberg did’ advertising campaigns of the early noughties.
She explained: ‘The surgeon went, ”Can you see that? That’s a very small cancerous lump”. And I went, ”Oh, OK, is it aggressive?”.
‘And she said, ”No”.. And I went, ”Brilliant”… I was like, ”OK, so easily fixed?”, and she was like, ”Yes, not really much of a problem.”
‘It really is the Carlsberg of breast cancers. If you have to have it, this is the one to have. I feel really lucky.
‘There are people that really are up s**t creek without a paddle, who have cancer, and I am not that person.’
In June last year, Sarah confirmed the discovery of a second lump on her breast, nine months after being diagnosed with cancer.
Taking to Instagram at the time, she admitted the position of the lump, located on a previously unaffected breast, was a cause for concern – but could have been a direct consequence of her ongoing hormone therapy.
She said: ‘I’m just going to tell you guys something – I’ve found another f***ing lump. I went to the doctors and she could feel it too.
‘Our hunch, me and the doc, is it’s because your boobs change, the composition of your boobs change quite a lot when you’re on hormone therapy.
‘But I’ve got a mammogram tomorrow – it’s not a recurrence, so it would be another primary cancer, but I haven’t got the time, so will you all say a little prayer for me tomorrow at three?’
She added: I’ve got a niggly doubt, on the whole I feel OK, but I’ve just got that niggling tiny worry. Obviously, once you’ve had cancer you worry about it coming back all the time.’
‘I haven’t been quite as healthy as I could have been, but you know, you’ve got to live haven’t you? I can’t cut out all the joy, can I?’
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
