Brave Pendle sisters chosen to launch Burnley's Race For Life

10:00am Monday 8th March 2010

By Jon Livesey

THREE brave sisters have told of their harrowing battle with a hereditary form of breast cancer that killed their mother.

Now Jackie Robinson, Eileen Eve and Maxine Betts have been chosen to launch Burnley’s Race For Life in May to help raise funds to fight the disease.

The sisters, of Barrowford and Nelson, were left heartbroken when their mother, Marlene Hartley, died of breast cancer in 1994 aged 59.

The family then faced further heartache when Jackie was diagnosed with the disease in 2006 aged 52.

Around the same time a cousin was diagnosed with breast cancer, which prompted the breast care nurse at Burnley General Hospital to suggest Jackie was tested for the hereditary BRCA gene, which, if carried, increases the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.

Middle sister Eileen was then diagnosed with breast cancer in 2008 at 42, and also tested positive for the hereditary gene.

To reduce the risk of developing the disease, Maxine decided to have both breasts removed after testing positive for BRCA.

Both Jackie and Eileen are now in remission after completing treatment programmes and undergoing surgery. Maxine is recovering from reconstructive surgery.

The sisters will launch the Cancer Research Race for Life in Towneley Park, Burnley, in May.

Between 2006 and last March Jackie, 55, of The Fold, Barrowford, has had surgery to remove a lump, endured gruelling chemotherapy, and had her right breast removed. She has also had her ovaries removed to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.

The superviser, who works at Protec Fire Detection in Nelson and has a 27-year-old son called Paul, said: “We’ve all had a tough time of it, but feel fortunate that we’ve been able to take preventative measures to reduce our risk of being diagnosed with cancer in the future.”

When mother-of-two Eileen, of Harry Street, Barrowford, was diagnosed with breast cancer, she opted for a double mastectomy.

The Clarets fan, 44, underwent surgery in October 2008 and recovered in time to see Burnley beat Chelsea in the Carling Cup.

Following the surgery, she started a course of chemotherapy which finished 12 months ago.

She said: “After what my mum and Jackie went through, I didn’t want to mess about having just the lump removed, or one breast removed and then wait around feeling anxious about being re-diagnosed.

“My daughters and husband were incredibly supportive and I knew I was doing the right thing.”

Mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes are responsible for around five per cent of the 45,500 cases of breast cancer diagnosed each year in the UK and for more than five percent of the 6,615 cases of ovarian cancer diagnosed each year.

People carrying the gene have a 50 to 80 per cent chance of developing breast cancer.

Maxine, of Halifax Road, Nelson, underwent a 15-hour operation last October at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester to have her breasts removed before undergoing reconstructive surgery to create new breasts.

The customer adviser, who works at Shop Direct in Burnley, has three sons – Jack, nine, Ryan, six, and Daniel, two.

Last year she took part in Race for Life events at Burnley and Blackburn, raising more than £600 for Cancer Research UK.

She and her sisters will set the runners off in Burnley and will then hand out medals to all the participants at the finish line.

She said: “Having seen my two sisters and my mum cope with a breast cancer diagnosis, I had absolutely no doubt in my mind about having the preventative surgery once I discovered I was carrying the faulty gene.

“It’s vital that research continues to give people like me a chance in the future and that is why I would urge all women to think about signing-up for Race for Life and raising as much cash as possible for Cancer Research UK.”

Jenny Key, of Cancer Research, said: “We hope their personal stories will inspire the women of East Lancashire to sign up for Race for Life.”