A BREAST cancer charity added some ‘celebrity sparkle’ to successfully raise £30,000 to buy a key piece of equipment for breast cancer screening at Burnley General Hospital.

Football pundit Iain Dowie’s wife, Debbie Dowie, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010.

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Fighting the disease herself inspired her to set up her charity ‘Boot Out Breast Cancer’ which has held numerous events to raise funds for equipment at NHS Trusts across the North West of England.

Her latest event, a masquerade ball, was held recently to help raise funds to buy a new MRI breast coil for Burnley General Hospital after the previous scanner came to the end of its useful life.

The ball was attended by the charity’s patrons, former Blackburn Rovers striker Alan Shearer and Paralympic cyclist, Dame Sarah Storey.

The trust said they are thrilled that £30,000 was raised. The equipment will make a tangible difference to women’s lives.

The event, which was held at Manchester’s Palace Hotel, was attended by members of the Breast Screening Team from Burnley who presented a video explaining why the MRI breast coil is so important.

Liz Read, Breast Screening Manager said: “We are extremely grateful to the Boot Out Breast Cancer Charity.

“While ultrasound imaging and mammograms are used in the majority of cases, the MRI scan gives an earlier and more accurate diagnosis in younger patients where the density of the breast tissue is higher.

“The MRI gives a clearer estimation of tumour size and disease spread which allows better surgical and treatment planning.”

Patient Nafisa Munshi experienced the benefits of the equipment first hand in Burnley.

She said “My cancer was not detected by an ultrasound or a mammogram. The MRI, however, did detect it.

“After completing my treatment, the MRI scan that I had helped with making sure there was nothing there in the right breast where the cancer was but also confirmed the original small lumps that were picked up in the left breast were just there due to the time of month and nothing more sinister.

“Thanks to Boot Out Breast Cancer, many more women in East Lancashire can continue to have the early diagnosis and positive outcome that I have had.”

It is estimated that on average, 12 per cent of women are diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.

However, in women with a family history of the disease, the figures are greatly increased to between 30 and 80 percent.