Burnley's youngest breast cancer patient shares her inspiring story

Paige Barnes, 26, was diagnosed with cancer last year after finding a “lump about the size of a golf ball” on her breast whilst she was shaving her armpit last August.

The brave cancer survivor, along with her mum Pauline Barnes and family friend Deborah Sharpe are holding the fundraising event to raise awareness of cancer and cancer in young people, as well as raising money in aid of ELHT&Me to boost the appeal and secure a state-of-the-art piece Paxman Cooling System targeted at reducing hair loss.

The event will be held at Riley’s in Colne at 2pm on Saturday, August 13 and all money raised from fundraising activities is in aid of ELHT&Me, the official charity of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust.

Paige Barnes, 26, was the youngest patient to receive breast cancer treatment at Burnley Primrose Unit

Sharing her journey with ELHT&Me, the resilient 26-year-old said: “I remember being so shocked at the bluntness of the two-week referral slip that stated in bold ‘you might have cancer’. However, this was just precautionary as ‘I was too young to have breast cancer.’ My referral appointment came through for 24/09/21 at the breast care clinic, Burnley.”

Paige went to a referral appointment with her fiancée Liam Canning and was told that it was likely to be fibroadenoma, which is a solid breast lump and not cancer.

At that point, the lump was measuring large at three centimetres so the decision to remove it was going to be discussed at a meeting.

Paige added: “Again I was told I was too young to have breast cancer.”

On October 5, 2021, a day before Paige’s 26th birthday, she received a phone call from her consultant stating the biopsy results showed the cells were changing so they wanted to remove the lump. Paige had surgery that Wednesday.

However, at her results appointment a month later, she was told that she has breast cancer.

Paige said: “I am the youngest my consultant has had. My first questions were what about work and what about my hair. After the news I was then sent for more scans, tests and a chat with my breast care nurse. Everything was a blur.”

On November 26, Paige was back at the breast clinic to find out the next steps which was surgery the following week to do a ‘clearance’ of her breast and take out lymph nodes and then started the fertility procedure the day after the surgery.

On January 14, Paige received good news that the cancer had not spread to lymph nodes but was still within the breast so her oncologist who gave her a chemo plan of six rounds – one every three weeks and then targeted therapy for a year.

Paige’s cancer was staged at stage two. She started chemotherapy on Thursday, January 27. Paige said: “We didn’t realise it would be so imminent, my sister tattooed my brows and eyeliner for me in preparation for the hair loss, this is when it hit me and began to feel real.

“On 26/01/22 I remember walking onto the chemotherapy ward at Blackburn and feeling a whole lot of panic. Me and Liam got put into a side room and I remember saying to him I can’t have chemo out there, how will I do my hair products…. as I was using cold cap therapy to save my hair. “

Cold cap therapy uses a scalp cooler, which consists of a lightweight silicone cap connected to a small refrigeration unit, that is placed on the head.

A machine is then used to reduce the temperature of the scalp to protect the hair follicles from the effects of chemotherapy.

Scalp cooling caps have been shown to reduce hair loss, with 50 per cent of patients retaining at least half of their hair.

Paige’s first chemotherapy was administrated through a cannula. She said: “The nurses were great but I was knocked out soon as the chemo went in. I remember going to the toilet straight after the infusion and my urine being red from the ‘Red Devil chemo’ that’s how quick it went round my body.”

The second round of chemo was at Burnley Primrose and the second and third round of the ‘Red Devil’ wasn’t as difficult for Paige as the first.

However, on Valentine’s Day, Paige lost 50 per cent of my hair in one day which was unexpected because of the cold cap therapy she was doing.

Despite this, Paige made sure to keep healthy by walking a lot and keeping a good diet throughout chemotherapy.

On May, 20 it was time for round six. Paige said: “I ran off pure adrenaline to be ringing that bell and have the picc line out of my arm!

“My family had organised a 'chemo finito' gathering which was lovely to come home to! Chemo was over the hair loss has stopped but then my eyelashes and eyebrows were non-existent…”

On July, 1, what was supposed to be Paige and her fiancé Liam’s wedding day, her consultant rang her to share the fantastic news. Paige was cancer free.

The next steps are radiotherapy which start next month.

Paige added: “…I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!”

The charity event at Riley’s Bar Colne is in aim of raising enough money for an additional state-of-the-art Paxman Cooling System through ELHT&Me and the event welcomes everyone to be a part of the day. You can donate and find out more information here https://orlo.uk/Qzhgr

To read more about the work of ELHT&Me and get involved, please visit https://elht.nhs.uk/charity or find them on social media @ELHTandMe