A mum-to-be who thought a lump in her breast was due to hormonal changes discovered she had breast cancer at 10 weeks pregnant.

Amy Scanlon, 30, initially put the lump in her left breast down to hormonal changes after undergoing fertility treatment - but decided to get it checked out just in case.

She and her partner, Gerald Catney, 34, an operations manager, had been overjoyed when they found out they were expecting in February 2024 after undergoing four rounds of medicated cycles.

But their joy was short-lived when Amy was diagnosed with breast cancer 10 weeks in on 21 March 2024 - after months of appointments, tests and ultrasounds.

Now, with just three months to go before her due date on 18 October, Amy is undergoing chemotherapy as a preventative measure to ensure the cancer does not spread.

When her daughter is born, Amy will have three more rounds of chemotherapy, radiation, and 10 rounds of Herceptin infusions - as well as between five to 10 years of hormone therapy medication.

Amy, a charity worker, from Belfast, Northern Ireland, said: "It's been so tough - we've been trying for a baby for such a long time. "

"You want it for so long and finally it happens - and now, with everything else going on, it just feels like the entire experience is being ripped away from us."

"People think you can't get cancer at a young age but you absolutely can. "

"I want to encourage other women to check themselves regularly and to go to their doctor if they have any concerns - breast cancer can affect women at any age."

Amy had been undergoing medicated cycles - a form of fertility treatment - for four months after trying for a baby for almost two years.

In January, she noticed a lump on her left breast - which she initially believed to be an effect of hormonal changes from the treatment.

She decided to get it checked out anyways - but before her appointment, in early February, she discovered she was finally pregnant.

Amy said: "Unfortunately we didn't have the nicest experience telling our families about the pregnancy."

"We had been waiting until 12 weeks to share the news but once we found out about my diagnosis, we had to tell our families both pieces of news at the same time."

"We decided to start with the bad news and told them about the breast cancer and then softened the blow with the pregnancy news. "

"We didn't have a lot of information at the time about my diagnosis so it was quite scary for everyone."

Shortly after finding out she was pregnant, Amy went to her GP.

Doctors initially agreed the lump was likely a result of hormonal changes from the fertility treatment.

However, due to Amy being over 25, they advised her to get it properly checked - and she was referred to a breast clinic.

Amy said: "I waited two months for my appointment - by the time I went to the breast clinic, I was eight weeks pregnant."

"I was examined and they did an ultrasound and they agreed it was probably just a fibroadenoma - a type of benign tumour. "

"But again - because of my age - they decided to do a biopsy just in case. "

"After what they'd said, I left the clinic thinking it was nothing. I thought everything would be totally fine."

However, a week later, Amy was asked to go back for her results and was shocked to find out they had discovered cancer cells in the biopsy.

Amy said: "It was another wait and then I had to have surgery to remove the lump. This was the end of April."

"Luckily they managed to get everything out - the cancer hadn't spread to the lymph nodes which I was so thankful for."

"I got my full diagnosis after that - stage one triple positive breast cancer. "

"The cancer essentially feeds off of hormones and uses a type of protein called HER2 to grow - because of this, chemotherapy was recommended as a preventative measure to ensure it wouldn't come back."

Amy's course of chemotherapy began in June - when she was five months pregnant - at Ulster Hospital, in Dundonald, County Down, Northern Ireland.

She will have three sessions before her baby's due date in October and then three more rounds after.

Amy said: "Luckily the side effects from the chemo have been minimal - that's what I was most worried about. "

"But everything has gone so smoothly, the pregnancy is going incredibly smoothly which is obviously amazing. "

"I'm feeling pretty good at the moment, but just so tired and overwhelmed - it's been a really tough few months."

Amy shares her pregnancy and cancer journey on her TikTok account - @amyscanlon_ - and said the support has been "so amazing"."

She said: "After my diagnosis, I found another woman on TikTok going through a similar thing and it made me realise I'm not alone. "

"When people experiencing similar things see my account, that's what I want them to realise - they're not alone."

"I also hope by sharing my experience that other women check themselves regularly and go to their doctor if they have any concerns. "

"Breast cancer can affect women at any age."

Amy said her partner Gerald has been "so supportive". "

The pair moved into a new house at the end of 2023 and they have been getting everything ready for the arrival of their baby in a few months.

She said: "We've wanted to be parents for a while now."

"We're really looking forward to that. We can't wait to get all of this behind us and I just can't wait to be happy and healthy again - I'm just ready to get my life started again."

"We've tried to stay as positive as we can through the whole thing. My friends and family have been amazing - everyone has really rallied around us."

"As soon as it's all over, we'll be going away on holiday as soon as possible."