Olivia Attwood opens up on breast cancer scare after discovering 'sizeable lump'
Olivia Attwood has opened up about breast cancer scare after finding a ‘sizeable lump’.
The 35-year-old reality star found a ‘hard’ lump on her right breast back in 2020 and went to see a specialist who was able to perform a biopsy.
“I went and saw a breast specialist, and he said there was quite a sizeable lump there,” she told the Press Association.
“He decided that the best thing for me to do was to have it removed and biopsied – luckily, it was benign.”
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She added: “No one wants to find a lump. It’s not a nice thing.
“It wasn’t cancerous, it was just that it was just fatty tissue – so everything in my case was fine.”
The former Love Island star said the cyst she had is ‘quite common’, and shared that her mum had also had ‘fatty lumps removed from her breast’.
Attwood said that going through the cancer scare had taught her what to look out for.
“It’s helped me know what I’m looking for, and how to examine myself properly; I think a lot of women don’t actually know how to do this,” she added.
Attwood decided to speak out about her experience in the hopes of encouraging women and girls to check for signs of breast cancer and to get checked out if they have any concerns.
“Don’t be fearful, and definitely don’t be embarrassed,” she said.
“People that examine you for a living… They do this all day, every single day.
“You can’t die out of embarrassment.
“You need to get out of your own head and realise that these checks could save your life.”
Attwood also sat down with Girls Aloud singer Nadine Coyle to talk about the issue on her Olivia’s House podcast.
In the episode, which was released today, Coyle reflected on how her former bandmate Sarah Harding died aged 39 in 2021 because of breast cancer, and the pair talk about how some women may be ‘scared’ to get checked out.
“Let’s take the embarrassment out of the conversation and encourage your friends and your family members, and the females in your family to check their breasts,” Attwood said.
Breast cancer symptoms to look out for
Anyone can get breast cancer, so it’s important to check your breast or chest regularly - the NHS recommends about once a month.
According to the NHS, symptoms of breast cancer can include:
- A lump or swelling in your breast, chest or armpit
- A change to the skin, such as dimpling or redness
- A change in the shape or size of one or both breasts
- A change in the shape or look of your nipple
- Pain in the breast or armpit that doesn’t go away
- Discharge from the nipple
If you do fund any changes you’re not sure about, then it’s best to see your GP.
Claire Reid