"You're too young to have cancer": Leicestershire mum speaks out after daughter's death
Alice Greaves was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at 24, after being dismissed repeatedly for being "too young"
The mum of a Leicestershire woman, who died from breast cancer at just 27, says more needs to be done to ensure young people's symptoms are taken seriously.
The charity CoppaFeel! has found almost one in three people with breast cancer say they were dismissed by a healthcare professional as being "too young" when they first sought help.
The report also found that more than half (53%) of breast cancer diagnoses happen outside the current NHS screening age, while cases in people under 50 have risen by 5% in just one year.
For Libby Greaves, those findings reflect her daughter Alice's experience.
Alice first contacted her GP surgery in late 2022 after noticing discomfort in her breast. During a telephone consultation with a nurse practitioner, she was told it was likely to be a pulled pectoral muscle because she was physically active.
"She knew something didn't feel right," Libby said.
Alice, who regularly ran, cycled and skied, had also recently been lifting hundreds of Christmas trees for the family business. Libby said Alice was reassured that her symptoms were most likely muscular.
But the discomfort continued.
When a close family friend was diagnosed with breast cancer a few months later, Alice became increasingly concerned and sought further advice. After multiple dismissals from nurse practitioners, Alice was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer at the age of 24.
Looking back, Libby says it is easy to understand why younger women can question themselves.
"She did suffer with anxiety, so naturally we wondered whether that was making her worry more," she said. "But she knew her own body."
Rather than allowing the diagnosis to define her, Alice threw herself into fundraising for cancer research.
She became an ambassador for Hope Against Cancer, supported Nottingham Breast Cancer Research and raised money for Rainbows Hospice. From sponsored walking challenges and muddy obstacle races to organising a charity ball that raised £48,000 in one evening, Alice was determined to make a difference.
To date, Alice's fundraising has raised around £470,000, with organisers hoping this year's events will take the total beyond £500,000.
"Her words to me were, 'Keep it going, Mum,'" Libby said. "That's exactly what we're doing."
CoppaFeel! is calling for breast screening to be based on individual risk rather than age alone, as well as routine breast awareness conversations during cervical screening appointments, HPV vaccinations and NHS Health Checks to help people recognise symptoms earlier.
Libby hopes sharing Alice's story will encourage others to seek medical advice if something doesn't feel right – regardless of their age.