Mom diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time after husband felt lump while cuddling

A woman was diagnosed with breast cancer after her husband found a lump while giving her a cuddle in bed.Avter Dhadwal, 58, was diagnosed with breast cancer aged just 22 in 1991, after finding a lump shortly after the birth of her second child, Bobby, now 35.She beat the condition after a surgery to remove the cancer, followed by several rounds of chemo and radiotherapy, and moved on with her life.Over three decades on, in 2024, husband Tom Flood, 61, found a small hard lump in her right breast when his hand brushed over her chest while giving her a cuddle in bed, prompting her to get it checked.A mammogram and ultrasound revealed grade one invasive ductal carcinoma – caught in the early stages.This time around, instead of a lumpectomy, Avter was told she would need a single mastectomy – the complete removal of her right breast.Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.

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Never miss a story.Avter, from Rochester, Kent, is sharing her story to raise awareness and encourage others to check their breasts for lumps – as Tom’s observance meant she could be treated early.The civil servant and mom-of-two said: “The first time I was diagnosed I had just given birth and initially the lump was thought to be a blocked milk duct.“I had my lumpectomy and my treatment and five years on there was no recurrence, so life went on.“Then in 2024, when Tom noticed a small lump when he put his arm around me in bed, I didn’t even give cancer a thought.

I thought I’d already done it once, surely that won’t happen again!“But by the time I had a biopsy and went to the hospital for the results, I had mentally prepared for it being breast cancer and thought I knew what to expect.“So it floored me a bit when this time they wanted to do a mastectomy.“It took me a while to look at myself in the mi...