Victoria Derbyshire: The Unusual Breast Cancer Symptom That Revealed Her Cancer

48-year-old Victoria Derbyshire has endured a long battle with breast cancer, after a diagnosis of the disease in 2015.

The TV presenter, who hosts her own flagship news show, announced the news on her Twitter account in the August of that year, after a diagnosis in the July, along with the revelation that she’d been undergoing a mastectomy and chemotherapy following the diagnosis.

Now, two years after the earth-shattering news, the presenter is opening up about the moment her life changed and her subsequent treatment in her new autobiography, Dear Cancer, love Victoria, which is out 21st September.

In extracts obtained by the Mirror, Victoria discusses the unusual symptom she experienced that left her questioning whether or not she was ill.

She did the very thing of which most of us are guilty, and Googled her concerning symptom – an inverted nipple. And it was the symptom which she reveals, eventually lead to her diagnosis.

She said, “The kettle’s on, and I’m Googling “inverted nipple” before leaving for work. There are several explanations, but I instantly stop reading. BREAST CANCER.”

“I might have cancer. I am not being dramatic, hysterical, irrational, foolish. I actually might have cancer.”

She continued, heartbreakingly questioning if she is about to loose the three people who matter most in her life. She wrote, “My mind races. I can’t bear not to be with these three most important people in my life. I can’t bear not to be there alongside Mark as my children Oliver, 11 and Joe, eight, mature and flourish. My bright, funny, affectionate boys, who are never embarrassed to say “love you, Mummy” – and say it 10 times a day.”

[twitter]https://twitter.com/vicderbyshire/status/881082222857605120[/twitter]

Victoria with one of her sons, before running the Race For Life

Thankfully however, it seems things are looking up for Victoria and her family following the terrifying ordeal, and she appears to be in the clear. 

In a recent interview with the Guardian, she said, “Cancer is a lottery in terms of whether you survive or not. I know that and am so grateful. There aren’t enough words to express my gratitude.”

Inverted nipple breast cancer

While most people equate a breast cancer diagnosis with the discovery of a lump, or breast pain, an inverted nipple is a common, yet rarely spoken about symptom of the disease.

An inverted nipple, which wasn’t inverted, or pulled in, before, can be a signifier of breast cancer.
It may not be followed by a lump, as is a traditional cancer symptom, so it’s recommended you go to your doctor if you notice this change in one or both of your nipples.

If it is accompanied by a red scaly rash, itchiness, bleeding or discharge, it’s highly advised that you go to see your doctor, as they could be signs of Paget’s disease, a condition that presents itself in the nipple.