'The system is broken' - Coronation Street's Victoria Ekanoye opens up about her struggle with breast cancer

If you're a fan of Coronation Street, you'll recognise Victoria Ekanoye as Angie Appleton. Recently, however, the actress has turned her hand to documentary filmmaking as an anchor and executive producer of Shades of Survival, a film highlighting the lasting unfair differences in breast cancer outcomes for Black women.

On the day she went to Parliament to request changes in approaches to breast cancer in the UK, Victoria spoke to Christine Lampard on Lorraine about her own experience with breast cancer symptoms and the problems Black women face getting diagnosed.

"The system is broken and more needs to be done. Not just for those going through breast cancer but for the preventative side of things as well. We have to be educated in order to take ownership of our own bodies. Check ourselves once a month to make sure we know what we're looking for and how to do it, because so many women don't - even at our age and older," she said.

"[Many women] just aren't aware of how to do it and that already is a hurdle, but then on top of that, when you look at the health inequity, it's just so much to carry. You shouldn't have to be brave, resilient, and tenacious to survive, but that is the reality."

Victoria found a lump in her breast while feeding her child, who was six months old at the time. Worryingly, however, she did not receive an quick diagnosis when she went to the doctor with this symptom of breast cancer. Despite having an extensive history of the disease in her family, she had to "push for a third opinion".

"I think if a lot of people had received that first diagnosis, a missed diagnosis, that they were fine, they would run for the hills, happy and content in that. But unfortunately, or fortunately, I know my body and I have a lot of breast cancer in the family and I'm a patron of Prevent Breast Cancer. So I had that little bit more education to push, not just for a second but a third opinion, and I'm so grateful that I had that because I may not be here now to talk about it," she said.

The documentary, Shades of Survival, spans three continents, speaks to women who are raising awareness of breast cancer around the world, and features researchers from the University of Cambridge, who share their research and experiences.

Victoria appeared on Lorraine the morning of her visit to Parliament, where she and her documentary team were submitting a letter to ask for changes in funding, outreach, and research, with the view to boost the number of Black women represented in clinical research.

In the UK, there isn't available data on how many Black women are included in clinical breast cancer research. In the US, figures range from 2% to 9% in some studies, and as low as 3% in others, according to Breast Cancer.org. Most medical research is done on European White women and applied to Black women by default.

"The reality is Black women are on the bottom rung of the ladder when it comes to health equity," says Victoria. "This isn't just a Black woman's problem, this is a global problem. If we get it right for us, we get it right for everybody, so this has to be something that's not just for our level but even those in the medical sector. People who have seen this documentary are not aware of the medial disparities and they are medical professionals. If they are not aware, how are [the general public] to know?" she says.

Dr Amir Khan, GP, frequent ITV guest, and woman&home's own resident doctor, also appeared on the show. He agreed with Victoria that there is simply not enough information for Black women on breast cancer.

"Lots of people don't know that Black women are more likely to get an aggressive type of cancer, they are more likely to get it younger, and they are more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage of the illness when to compared to younger women," he said.

There are a couple of reasons for this. Firstly, genetics play a part. "Black women are more likely to have genes or variants of genes that put them at risk of triple negative aggressive cancers," he says. These are cancers that grow and spread quickly, and have fewer targeted treatment options.

"Black women are also more likely to miss the screening as they get it when they are younger than 50," he explains. "The screening won't pick it up because the screening starts at 50, so we need to hammer home the message of self-check."

Vitamin and nutrient intake can also play a role, says Dr Khan, who has previously shared advice on taking supplements, like the difference between vitamin D2 vs D3. "Low vitamin D is more prevalent in those with darker skin, and there's a link between low vitamin D and triple negative breast cancer," he said.

Dr Amir's tips to prevent and recognise signs of breast cancer

• Don't wait for a screening: "If you think you're at risk, if you've got a family member who's had breast cancer under the age of 50, don't wait for screening," says Dr Khan. "Go and speak to your GP about genetics and genetic testing if that's needed, if you're eligible for it." If your nervous about medical exams like mammograms, have a look at our guide on what happens during a mammogram screening.
• Get to know your normal: "Get yourself checked every month," he says. "Check your breasts." The above diagram is a useful demonstration for how to check your breasts for unusual symptoms - but you'll only be able to recognise something's up if you know what your breast tissue normally feels like.
• Supplement if needed: "Get your vitamin D levels up. Every Black person and Brown person in the UK should be taking vitamin D throughout the year," he says. There are also various foods rich in vitamin D that you can add to your diet.