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A woman has shared the photo that informed her she had breast cancer before she had even set foot inside of a hospital.

Erin Smith Chieze posted the photo of lemons, each one displaying a physical mark of breast cancer, in a bid to raise awareness of those symptoms visible to the naked eye.

In the post, Erin explained that she was sharing the photo in response to a new social media trend calling on women to post a heart icon on their pages, to raise awareness for breast cancer.

She explained that she first came across this photo in 2015, and when she discovered an indentation similar to that on one of the lemons, she "instantly knew" she had breast cancer.

While Erin couldn’t feel a tumour in her breast, she knew she needed to see a doctor.

She was diagnosed with breast cancer five days later, and her status was placed at Stage 4 a month later.

“A heart did nothing for awareness. I knew what breast cancer was. I knew all about self-exams, but a picture of what to look for keyed me into knowing I had a terminal disease. We need to give REAL information, not cute hearts,” she wrote.

Now, Erin is calling on women everywhere to study the photo and share it with their friends and loved ones.

“If you truly want to help people with cancer, or those who will get cancer, share photos like this one. I wish I remembered who posted the original picture I saw; it truly did make a difference for me,” she added.

Such an important picture, please share it with everyone you know. 

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Lets not beat around the bush, we all love Nutella, whether it be in a crepe, on toast or even alone on a spoon.

So imagine our devastation when we read a study that claims that one of Nutella's main ingredients, palm oil, is carcinogenic. 

The report, by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), claims that palm oil is more cancer-causing than any other oil when refined at temperatures above 200 degrees, as it often is in the food processing industry.

However, the study did not recommend that consumers stop eating it (thank goodness) as further research into the area is required.

Nutella producer Ferrero has taken a public stand to defend the ingredient, after some companies have called for a boycott of the cheap oil. 

"Making Nutella without palm oil would produce an inferior substitute for the real product, it would be a step backward," Ferrero's purchasing manager Vincenzo Tapella told Reuters.

Nutella relies on the oil to help create its smooth, spreadable texture and maintain its shelf life. 

In order to counteract the 3 percent dip in sales that Nutella has seen since the publication of the palm oil report, the company has released a TV ad discussing the studys findings and reassuring customers that its spread is safe.

"The palm oil used by Ferrero is safe because it comes from freshly squeezed fruits and is processed at controlled temperatures," Tapella says in the ad. 

Well thank god for that. 

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Yesterday, fans of Gay Byrne were saddened to learn that the legendary broadcaster is facing a diagnosis of prostate cancer.

Making the candid announcement on his Lyric FM radio show on Sunday afternoon, the former Late Late Show host revealed that he will be absent from the programme next week because he is expected in hospital to undergo a series of tests.

Last night, the 82-year-old offered The Irish Sun a glimpse at how he intends to cope with his health concerns when he told the paper he has no option but to maintain a positive outlook.

“You don’t have any choice but to have a positive outlook,” said Gaybo.  “You have to have the best outlook possible.”

“You have to remember there are a huge collection of fellas who have survived prostate cancer.  They all survived and are doing well and why couldn’t that apply to me?”

Discussing his decision to make the news public, the father of two said he wanted stop the production of rumours.

 

“I just made the announcement because I wouldn’t be doing the show next week and to stop the rumours starting that I was dead or gone.”

He explained that doctors think he has “a little cancer of the prostate” but admitted that they won’t know for sure until the end of next week.

 

Feat image: RTÉ

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Legendary broadcaster Gay Byrne has told his RTÉ Lyric FM show listeners that he is suffering from cancer.

On the show, he said he will "not be with listeners next week.

Image result for gay byrne

"I shall not be with our listeners on this day next week. Have to go to hospital this week…They think they may have discovered a bit of cancer in the prostate and they think it may have moved up into my back," said the 82-year-old.

"I've had the most wonderful, fantastic, robust, good health all my broadcasting life.

"It's my turn now … Many, many people much worse off. Thank you for your good wishes," Gay added.

Our thoughts are with him and his family at this difficult time.

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In a move which he hopes will inspire others,  Black Eyed Peas member Taboo has revealed that he underwent 12 weeks of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer in 2014.

In an interview with People magazine, the 41-year-old rapper explained that he was dealt the devastating blow when he admitted himself to hospital with what he assumed was a bout of flu.

Unfortunately for the popular star, doctors diagnosed Taboo with stage 2 testicular cancer – a diagnosis which required an aggressive form of chemotherapy.

"It all started with a pain in my back and abdomen," he  said "The very next day I went into surgery to have the 'mother ship' removed. But my fight had just begun."

Stunned by his band mate's diagnosis, will.i.am did his utmost to support Taboo, with the latter explaining: "Will.i.am instantly reached out to a great doctor who helped me figure out a treatment plan. I was racing against the clock."
 

While Taboo explained that there were times when he wanted to give up, he sought inspiration from individuals who had gone through the same experience and focussed his attention on music.

"I began channelling my energy into the thing that keeps me alive and spirited: music. I wanted to share my story and inspire others like those who had inspired me."

Two years after his journey began, Taboo has confirmed he is officially cancer-free and has used his experience to to help others.

"By the grace of God I'm alive and along with my partner @americancancersociety we are gonna help millions of people going thru the same fight I went thru," he tweeted.

 

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Michael Bublé’s three-year-old son, Noah, has reportedly been diagnosed with liver cancer.

According to Argentinian magazine Gente, Michael and his wife Luisana Lopilato received the devastating news after doctors in LA conducted a liver biopsy on their young son.

Noah is believed to have started a four month period of chemotherapy.  The Mail Online has reported that the singer’s son has a 90 percent chance of beating his illness.

Late last week, Michael took to Facebook to confirm Noah’s cancer diagnosis.

Initial reports had speculated that the couple’s oldest child was suffering with the mumps.  This has since been ruled out.

The 41-year-old Canadian stated that both he and his actress wife will be taking time away from their careers to concentrate on their family.

 

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Earlier today while appearing on The Howard Stern Show, Ben Stiller revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2014.

Following on from his chat with Howard, the much-loved actor published an essay which detailed his diagnosis and offered an insight into his thought process at the time.

"As my new, world-altering doctor spoke about cell cores and Gleason scores, probabilities of survival, incontinence and impotence, why surgery would be good and what kind would make the most sense, his voice literally faded out like every movie or TV show about a guy being told he had cancer," Ben wrote.

"A classic Walter White movement, except I was me, and no one was filming anything at all," he added.

After undergoing a routine prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test in June 2014, Ben, who married actress Christine Taylor in 2000, was dealt the devastating blow, but insists he is grateful and urges men to get tested.

"Taking the PSA test saved my life. Literally. That's why I am writing this now," he wrote. "If i had waited, as the American Cancer Society recommends, until I was 50 I would not have known I had a growing tumour until two years after I got treated."

"If I had followed the US Preventative Services Task Force guidelines, I would have never gotten tested at all and not have known I had cancer until it was way too late to treat successfully."

Explaining that he immediately sought the advice of Meet the Parents co-star Robert De Niro, who was also diagnosed with the disease, writing: "The first thing I did when I got diagnosed was get on the internet to try to learn. I saw De Niro had had it. I called him right away."

Ben, a father-of-two, underwent a prostatectomy three months later and is now cancer-free.

"As of this writing I am two years cancer free and extremely grateful," the 50-year-old said in a piece which has been published in Medium.

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As a 34-year-old women battling numerous cancerous tumours, her heartbreaking and touching story captured the attention of the nation earlier this year. 

Following her exclusive sit-down with SHEmazing in June, Jacinta Kelleher's incredible tale of resilience was picked up by national and local publications and broadcasters. 

In the aftermath, the Dublin woman admitted to being overwhelmed with the stream of good wishes she received. Now, and still basking in the support of countless strangers, she is using her newly-raised profile to thank the one organisation she feels made a real difference since her diagnosis with liver cancer three-and-a-half years ago. 

"Walking through the doors of an Arc Cancer Support Centre was the best thing I ever did," Ms Kelleher says now. 

"It's a safe place for me and so many other people dealing with cancer. They have picked me up more times than I can say and I honestly wouldn't have gotten this far without them."

Arc Cancer Support Centres offer support to men, women and children affected by cancer and those who care for them. The support is holistic and complements medical treatment with counselling, psychological support, complementary treatments and care. 

Jacinta had previously told SHEmazing that while she has "bad days" – she is also "eternally grateful to Arc" for everything they have done for her and her loved-ones – including her husband of three years, David.

"Mentally as well as physically, going through numerous surgeries is tough, and without Arc I just don’t know if I could keep going," she had revealed. 

Importantly, Team Arc are once again taking part in Saturday's Run-A-Muck Challenge. Now it their fourth year of competing, this year the event takes place on September 24 in Co Kildare.

"We need to raise funds for the organisation," Jacinta adds. "On the dark days that cancer brings, they showed me the light."

You can support Team Arc here. You can also find more information on Arc's service here.

For 2016, Team Arc aims to raise €1,000 – and has already surpassed the €600-mark.

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A Lurgan teen who bravely shared her cancer story through Facebook is being remembered today through an online fundraiser which was created by her mother in her honour.

Rebecca Haughey passed away on Thursday September 8 at Belfast City Hospital after a lengthily battle with cancer and less than two months after she publicly declared her determination to battle the disease in a heart-wrenching social media post.

Upon learning in late July that her cancer was fatal, Rebecca took to Facebook to share a powerful open letter in which she described the initial shock of hearing that her cancer was no longer responding to treatment and her renewed determination to use a combination of mainstream and holistic treatments to battle the disease.

In a post marked “feeling determined” the popular teen wrote: “My consultant told me that my white blood cell count was back up and it looked like the cancer was working too fast for my treatment to catch up with it.  She doubted there was much she could do for me.”

“Understandably, I was in a state of shock.  I was basically just told that I was going to die.  All I could say was, ‘No.  This can't be happening.  No.  There has to be something you could do.  No.  No.  No.’”

Choosing to use the devastating news as a motivator, the Armagh student continued: “That news gave me the kick up the back side I needed to make me more determined than ever to succeed.  To beat this ruddy cancer that had taken over my life.”

 

Mum brought home a Scottish souvenir for me #cute #Scotland #ragdoll #gretnagreen

A photo posted by Rebecca Haughey (@becca_haughey) on

“I told the doctor to put me back onto the steroids and other meds to keep my white cell counts under control. I decided to become more strict with my new alkaline diet…[and] that afternoon my mum…got me hemp oil.”

“It's going to be a long, difficult journey ahead but through Hell or high water, I'm going to get through it all and prove to my consultant that this will not beat me.”

Through a Just Giving page set up in Rebecca’s memory, her mother Colette Haughey has encouraged people to support a number of charities which helped her family throughout Rebecca’s illness and reminded people how her daughter would want to be remembered for who she was, rather than as a victim of cancer.

On the page – which has already raised over £1,500 – Ms Haughey described her daughter’s “strength, determination and relentless hope and positivity” as “infectious” before acknowledging the importance of Friends of the Cancer Centre, Cancer Fund for Children, The Boom Foundation and CLIC Sargent.

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Fans are shocked and saddened today to find out Belfast singer Brian Kennedy is battling with cancer.

The performer opened up on Matt Cooper's Today FM show.

"I have just started a journey with cancer, I’m afraid to say. It was a huge shock of course. It is the most bizarre thing.

“First of all, what I have is called rectal cancer. I said to my doctor ‘Could I have a more embarrassing form of cancer. Cancer in my bum, really?’

“At the same time, of course, he pointed out to me that there are plenty other worse places to get cancer," Brian continued.

“I shouldn’t have become a singer really, given where and how my life started, but my voice had other plans and saved me in the end," he added.

We wish him all the best at this difficult time.

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Janice Dickinson was diagnosed with cancer at the start of this year, and while she has been vocal since her diagnosis she has admitted that telling her family was seriously tough.

Indeed, speaking to Eamonn Holmes and Ruth Langsford on ITV's This Morning today, the 61-year-old candidly spoke about how she was point-blank AFRAID to tell her children – Savannah Dickinson, 22, and Nathan Fields, 29.

"In the beginning I was in a state of numbness… I was truly – not denial or pity – but I just walked around feeling kind of numb because I was afraid for my children,” she said via a live link from LA.

"I was afraid how my two grown children would take the news and they were very upset. And then I went through a period where I thought I wasn’t going to be attractive to my fiancé.”

 

#janicedickinson

A photo posted by Janice Dickinson (@janicedickinson) on

Janice was diagnosed with cancer back in March after doctors found a lump in her breast; she is now encouraging others to check themselves regularly.

"It's for this reason that I appear in front of you today to share my experience. I implore all women to go get their breast examined and do it themselves.”

 

#janicedickinson

A photo posted by Janice Dickinson (@janicedickinson) on

The former Celebrity Big Brother contestant went through six weeks of radiation, but found that by talking to people during her treatment she was able to stay herself.

“I found Janice again by really talking to people [during treatments] and asking about their day… I’d make them healthy biscuits… trying to be of service to people that have far worse afflictions.

"That’s how I found my light at the tunnel and I just want to keep going. It’s not the end, I’m not out the door yet.”

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Jacinta Kelleher is 34 and lives in Dublin with her husband, David.

She was first diagnosed with kidney cancer three-and-a-half years ago. Since then, numerous other tumours have been located around her body.

Yesterday, she discovered that her current drug treatment programme isn’t working.

Jacinta has just one option left: a life-saving drug known as Optivo, which is currently not available in Ireland despite being routinely used in the UK and US.

She has begun an online petition to urge Minister For Health Simon Harris to change this policy. You can support Jacinta and sign here.

Also a passionate advocator for the cancer support charity, Arc, this is her heartbreaking story in her own words…

It all started around mid 2011. I started getting a lot of colds and flu, and really bad bouts of tonsillitis.

As time went on, I started to suffer with constant tiredness too. Even simple things such as getting up for work were horrible.

I woke up on January 1, 2013 with pain radiating from my left side. When I put my hand on my stomach to see what it was, I could feel a big lump. My GP sent me straight to St. James’s Hospital for a scan on my stomach.

I waited in an empty bay in A&E for the results. No bed, no chair – simply because there was none free.

Eventually, a lovely young doctor appeared and explained that they'd like to admit me to treat “the mass that was on my kidneys”. I asked her was she talking about cancer; she gave me a sympathetic nod.

In that moment, my life changed forever. 

Over the next eight days, there was a whirlwind of scans, tests and biopsies; all confirming I had a kidney cancer known as renal cell carcinoma.

I had my left kidney removed along with 18 glands on January 10, 2013. The recovery was tough. I was released after two weeks… and just ten days later I was back in A&E. I had been bleeding internally and the stale blood had burst into my stomach cavity causing extreme pain and an infection.

When I met with one of my doctors post surgery, he has explained to me that my cancer had spread out of the kidney and into my lymph nodes. He told me I had five years; I was just 31 at the time.

Around the same time, David and I were planning our wedding – we were due to get married in Spain that September.

Everything was booked; deposits were paid for. But in light of what the doctor had told me, the future was very uncertain – meaning we hastily brought our Big Day forward to that June.

We booked Lexlip Manor and scrapped together plans and schedules, not focusing too much on what lay ahead.

And then, just a few weeks before our nuptials, I had a scan that came back clear – it seemed miraculous, like everything was coming together for the better.

Still, that blissful period didn’t last too long,

My next scan was in August 2013 and this showed the first sigh of reoccurrence: my adrenal gland was enlarged.

In March 2014 I had it removed in Tallaght Hospital. During the surgery, the doctor had to remove glands from around my heart and also shave some from my aorta. Biopsies on three cysts from my thyroid later proved they were also cancerous.

In July 2014, I had three-quarters of my thyroid removed in the Eye & Ear hospital.

Around Christmas 2014, I began to notice a bit of pain behind my eye, and also I was losing my balance a lot – a CT scan in February 2015 confirmed there was a tumour on top of my eye.

Just two weeks later I was back in the Eye & Ear having an orbitotomy, which involved fracturing my skull to remove that tumour. 

Then last December a scan found six small tumours in my abdomen. Doctors decided to try an oral chemo/targeted drug treatment programme. There are three of these drugs approved for use in Ireland by the HSE: Sutent, Votrient and Inlyta.

I started Sutent in early February, and had to stop taking it five days later. I was just so ill.

On April 10 I was admitted to James’s to start Votrient. It was tough going, but I managed – despite sometimes spending days in bed because of fatigue.

Sadly, I received the results of my most recent scan yesterday: Votrient isn’t working either. They won’t bother trying Inlyta: if the other two didn’t work the third option won’t either.

I am currently living with 11 tumours… two in my lungs, one in my right kidney, six in my abdomen, one where kidney was removed and one in my pelvis.

Optivo is my final and only option left – it is proven to save and lengthen the lives of those with kidney, lung and melanoma cancers. I have started an online petition to have it made widely available via the HSE.

Thankfully, my doctors have made a special application on my behalf on compassionate grounds for the drug. The outcome of that process is not certain, but there is a glimmer of hope for me at least.

The drug costs anything from €50,000 – €100,000 per year of treatment and at the moment, health authorities in this country feel that cost is too much. A price is put on human life – and to be told you're not worth it is heartbreaking for cancer patients and their families.

I’m not one to wallow, but so much has already been taken from me.

The biggest thing is that I can’t have a family: David and I have always spoken about children – we were the kind of couple who had names picked out after the first few dates! That and even simple things like going out with my friends are impossible.

I have bad days – and I’m eternally grateful to Arc, the cancer support charity that does incredible work. Mentally as well as physically, going through numerous surgeries is tough, and without Arc I just don’t know if I could keep going.

My focus now is on the petition – to get enough signatures to go to the Minister Of Health.

Beyond that? It’s one day at a time…

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