Lea Hughes was tragically diagnosed with incurable stage 4 breast cancer following a two-year period where her concerns over a tumour were dismissed as simply having ‘lumpy boobs’. Initially noticing a small lump at the age of 29, Lea, now 38, was reassured that her ‘lumpy boobs’ were nothing more than a hormone-related issue.
However, after two years the lump had morphed into a ‘dimple’, prompting an immediate referral from doctors to have scans including mammograms, ultrasounds, and biopsies. The devastating results confirmed stage four breast cancer, which, during the time went undetected and quickly spread to her liver and bones.
Given an ‘incurable’ prognosis, Lea fought back with a barrage of medications, therapies, and treatments aiming to stabilise the disease and halt its advance. But in a disheartening turn of events by August 2024, scans revealed it had invaded her brain and by March, her lungs were also compromised.
Lea, hailing from the Wirral but living in Leytonstone, East London, has now reached the limits of what the NHS can provide and is turning to fundraising for private treatment options. The former fashion and retail marketer shared her initial disbelief: “When the doctor first told me I had lumpy boobs, I’d never heard of it before.”
She vividly recalled the horrifying moment of realisation: “But years on, I saw the lump had grown when I was putting a bikini on and I spotted a shadow caused by the lump.”
Following swift medical investigation, her worst fears materialised: “Within weeks, I was diagnosed with stage four incurable cancer aged 31.” Despite some initial success in managing the illness, Lea conveyed the relentless nature of the disease: “Treatments contained it – until August 2024 – and now it’s in my brain and lungs too.”
Reflecting on her lengthy battle, she felt a bond with the team overseeing her case: “I know the doctors and nurses so well now, after seven years at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. It’s longer than any relationship I’ve ever had.” Initially brushed off by doctors at the age of 29 due to ‘lumpy boobs’ and no family history, she repeatedly attempted to have her concerns addressed.
It wasn’t until 2018, during a holiday, that a startling shadow and dimple noticed while putting on a bikini prompted immediate medical attention.
Lea recounted: “I was putting a bikini on and I saw a shadow and a dimple. When I explained it on the phone, they referred me straight to the hospital.”
A series of diagnostic tests followed: “I went for a mammogram and an ultrasound, then a biopsy. When it came back as cancer, they did a breast MRI scan and noticed a shadow on my liver in the corner.
“They did full body scans – MRIs, PETs and bone scans – and learned it had spread to my liver and bones.” Lea received her stage four incurable cancer diagnosis on an ominously memorable date.
“I was diagnosed with stage four incurable cancer in a matter of weeks in April 2018 on Friday 13th, of all days.” Treatment began at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, aiming to contain and manage her condition.
The journey included surgery: In June 2022, she underwent a single mastectomy. Further complications arose from one oral treatment, resulting in a serious hospital stay.
She shared: “Then one of the oral therapies made me so unwell that I ended up hospitalised in August 2023.” Her condition caused severe calcium imbalances, necessitating critical intervention.
“I had hypercalcaemia – high calcium levels in the blood – and needed multiple blood transfusions.” Reflecting on this episode, Lea expressed how the severity of her illness truly hit home: “It felt very real – I realised that this illness really could take me out.”
After opting for IV chemotherapy for 10 months, doctors managed to get the cancer under control and she stopped treatment in May 2024. But, come August 2024, a regular scan revealed that her liver tumours had started to progress again.
A comprehensive body scan was carried out to determine if she could be part of a groundbreaking trial. However, this further scanning found that the cancer had unfortunately spread to her brain.
Lea shared her reaction: “It’s one of those things, with stage four breast cancer, you know it can spread to the brain and you do worry. But I didn’t expect it then, because I had no symptoms at all.”
In September 2024, Lea underwent whole-brain radiotherapy, and then was back on IV chemotherapy. Her treatment continued with radiotherapy aimed at her spine; however, by December 2024, her body began to “give up” due to its weakened state.
She recounted her condition, saying: “I’m 5ft 10ins and I went down to 7st. I was too weak to hold myself up – I was watching myself waste away.”
She further shared: “I had to shave my head when I started losing my hair too. I didn’t recognise myself and seeing those changes was very confronting.”
A glimmer of hope emerged in January 2025, but was quickly shadowed by breathing difficulties in March. The spread of cancer to her lungs led to the removal of 4.5 litres of fluid.
Lea is now undergoing her sixth round of chemotherapy and is currently fundraising to gain access to a specialised cancer drug named Enhertu. Although it’s available on the NHS for certain types of breast cancer, it is not an option for hers due to the extensive spread, including to the brain.
Lea is hopeful about the potential effectiveness of Enhertu on her brain cancer because it has the rare ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, unlike many chemotherapies. The DESTINY-Breast12 trial, conducted by AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, indicated that Enhertu delivered a 61.6% one-year progression-free survival rate for patients grappling with both active or stable brain metastases and breast cancer.
However, without financial support from the NHS, the treatment comes with a hefty price tag exceeding £10,000 per cycle. Reflecting on her journey, Lea expressed: “I always try to lean into the positive – accepting how sh***y this is, but also not giving in.
“But it does feel very real when things don’t work.” She added, recounting her experience: “I can’t believe everything I’ve been through – you don’t realise until you sit back and reflect.
Determined, she emphasised: “But I have no choice just to get on with it and keep fighting.” Her fundraiser page can be found here.
