This Morning star Deidre Sanders has revealed that her breast cancer has returned, two years after her initial diagnosis.
The 79-year-old said that, to her “surprise,” doctors found cancer during an annual check-up.
During an appearance on Tuesday’s ITV show, she said: “This time, to be honest, shock because I felt fine. I was so taken aback—I wasn’t expecting it at all.”
Sanders revealed that medics discovered a “tiny but malignant” lump in her left breast, following previous treatment for cancer in her right breast.
The TV star explained that she is set to undergo a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy to treat the cancer later this month.
She told hosts Ben Shephard and Cat Deeley: “I feel lucky. It has been caught early and the treatment is happening very rapidly. It’s all on the NHS.”
The show’s resident agony aunt added that she experienced no symptoms and the cancer was “purely” found because of a mammogram appointment.
Urging other women to get checked, she said: “My big point about this is that on the NHS system, I’m not criticising it, the call for mammograms stop when you are 70.
“I happened to be in a cohort of women who got missed and we didn’t get called. I hadn’t had a mammogram since I was 67, so ten years had gone by.
“I didn’t give it a thought. I didn’t know anything about it. But what I do now know is that when you’re over 70, you can request a mammogram on the NHS and you should get one every year.
“Please, if you’re a woman over 70, request your mammogram. The reason I’ve had an easy time this time and last time is because it was caught so early.”
The government currently outlines that individuals aged 71 and older are not automatically invited for breast screenings, even though they have a higher risk of breast cancer compared to younger women.
However, they can request a screening every three years by contacting their local breast screening unit for an appointment.
The TV agony aunt then explained that she decided to share her diagnosis on This Morning to raise awareness about mammograms and breast cancer.
She said: “That’s what I do—I help people have difficult conversations, and if I can’t have my own, [it’s a] poor show.”
Sanders first revealed her breast cancer diagnosis in 2022. That summer, she began feeling “achy” and noticed that the usual tension in her shoulders had spread to her right breast.
Two weeks before a planned holiday, she contacted her GP and later saw an advanced nurse practitioner.
After undergoing a mammogram and ultrasound, she had a biopsy after her trip, which confirmed the presence of malignant cells. She subsequently underwent surgery to remove the lump and had radiotherapy.
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this story, support and advice is available at Breast Cancer Support
