A MOTHER-OF-TWO will take part in the Race For Life in two months, despite a recent life-threatening cancer scare.

Running a marathon was one of Gayle Knight's milestones to reach before the age of 40.

But now the 38-year-old Oswaldtwistle mother will take part in the 5km walk to raise much-needed funds for Cancer Research UK.

The charity is of particular importance to Gayle, after four members of her family battled against the disease.

Gayle, of Mill Hill, said: "Cancer is in our family and you know that if something is going to get one of us, it will be cancer."

The self-employed PR consultant went for a smear test in January and results showed that abnormal cells were present in her cervix. A biopsy was carried out in March and doctors concluded that a minor operation would be needed to remove the cells.

Gayle said: "I went to Queen's Park Hospital last Thursday and it was all over with in about 20 minutes. That 20 minutes could have saved my life."

Between 30 and 60 per cent of abnormal smears develop into cancer and one in 12 smear tests examined by medical laboratories will come back abnormal. Cervical cancer is the second most common form of the disease after breast cancer, making up 15 per cent of all cancers in women.

Treatment for removing pre-cancerous cells in the cervix is known as a calposcopy, where the offending cells are removed and the patient is put under local anaesthetic.

She continued: "If it wasn't for the research and the fundraising that Cancer Research UK does, then there's a strong possibility that things could have turned out a lot differently.

"They are doing so much now to treat different kinds of cancer and find a cure for them. When I found out that the Race For Life was to raise money for the charity, that was the deciding factor."

Three out of Gayle's four grandparents have suffered from cancer, including her husband's father who battled against prostate cancer at the age of 55. The average age of men who suffer from this form of cancer is 75.

Gayle has been advised to put her feet up for the next month, but she is still determined to take part in the Race For Life.

She said: "I need to buy a good pair of trainers and I'm going to try and enlist the help of a friend of mine who's a very good runner. I'm hoping that I'll be able to walk the race, but at quite a quick pace."

Husband, Chris, 27 and the couple's two children, Maddie, three, and Zack, one, will be supporting Gayle in her own personal Race For Life, where she is hoping to raise £200 for Cancer Research UK.