I got my cancer diagnosis after hearing radio stories

A mum who was diagnosed with breast cancer has said she was inspired to see her GP after hearing testimonies of survivors on the radio.

Adrienn Rozner had felt a lump on her left breast for some time but only had it seen by a GP after hearing the stories last October during Breast Cancer Awareness month.

She was referred for a biopsy at the hospital and, five weeks later, she was told she had cancer in her left breast.

Rozner, from Bournemouth, is now backing Cancer Research UK scientists using artificial intelligence (AI) to help spot more cancers earlier.

The 41-year-old said because some of her friends going through perimenopause had developed cysts in their breasts, she never gave the lump much thought.

"I didn't think I could have cancer because I was only 40 and had a healthy lifestyle," she said.

"I have always been very conscious about my health and what I eat. I don't smoke and don't drink alcohol. I never thought that I would have my own journey with cancer."

Rozner, who is a mum-of-two, is now cancer free and is speaking out during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in a bid to rally public support.

By 2040 around 69,900 women are expected to be diagnosed with the disease every year, according to Cancer Research UK.

Cancer Research UK said scientists were using bespoke AI tools to translate vast amounts of data – from scans to health records and genetic information – into "life-saving insights, revealing subtle signals of cancer that might otherwise be missed".

Meanwhile, researchers funded by the charity are creating digital replicas of real tumours using biological data from people with the disease.

With the help of technology, they are "rewinding" these "digital twins" to explore the earliest signs of breast cancer and are training an AI programme to help doctors spot these signs on MRI scans.

The charity's scientists also created a database, which brings together millions of mammograms with information on what happened to the individuals they came from.

The charity said this was helping to train and optimise AI tools to spot early-stage breast cancer and identify patterns that may predict future risk of the disease.

It is also being used to investigate the potential of virtual clinical trials to test new ways to detect cancer quickly and safely, without the need to recruit participants.

Rozner said: "I know all too well that my story could've had a very different ending.

"Too many people are still diagnosed when their cancer is more advanced, which can mean fewer options and tougher treatment."