My aunt's breast cancer diagnosis saved me — it showed me how to be vigilant

After Katie Browne's aunt was diagnosed, she decided to book an appointment with her GP, who found a tiny lump. She celebrated being cancer-free with a trip to Electric Picnic this summer and advises other women to be vigilant 

Just months shy of her 40th birthday, Katie Browne was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her aunt’s similar diagnosis months previously had prompted extra checking and vigilance.

Just months shy of her 40th birthday, Katie Browne was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her aunt’s similar diagnosis months previously had prompted extra checking and vigilance.

There’s a history of breast cancer in the family: Browne’s mother was diagnosed 18 years ago. “Because of my mom’s diagnosis, my aunt, who is my mom’s sister, was being monitored and was diagnosed in early 2023,” Browne, a Kerry native, says. “This news prompted my mom to advise me to be vigilant. I went to my GP and mentioned my aunt’s diagnosis and she did a breast check. She found a very small lump and referred me to the breast clinic in St James’s Hospital, Dublin.”