Featured Image Credit: SWNS
Topics: Cancer, Breast cancer, Health, UK News
Niamh Shackleton
A mom who thought her back pain was due to a pulled muscle was shocked when she discovered it was actually a sign of cancer.
Rachel McCormack was initially diagnosed with stage two breast cancer in 2015 but was given the all-clear after chemotherapy and surgery, being monitored with annual mammograms.
Rachel's yearly mammograms since her first diagnosis have always come back clear, but she has struggled with anxiety that her cancer would return.
She said: "In early days that was a scary time where I was not seeing anyone regularly and I knew there was a possibility it would come back, and managing anxiety thinking with every ache and pain 'is that something?'"
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One ache the mom-of-one began to notice was lower back pain, which started in December 2024. Rachel initially put it down to gradual muscle strain, however.
The midwife said it's not uncommon for people in her line of work to suffer back pain so she attended an appointment with a GP and was referred for physiotherapy.
The 38-year-old, from North Yorkshire, UK, said: "In clinical midwifery you are twisting and bending into all sorts of positions.
"A bad back is not unusual for someone doing my job. I went to physiotherapy and it just didn't get any better it just got worse."
In light of her back problems not improving, Rachel decided to contact her breast team at Scarborough Hospital.
She then had an MRI scan confirming her vertebrae was 'severely fractured' due to tumors on her spine caused by secondary stage four breast cancer.
Rachel is currently undergoing 12 weeks of chemotherapy, immunotherapy and body-targeted therapy to shrink the tumors.
"The stats out there show the median amounts of time people live well for but it's very dependent on how it responds to treatment," she said of her treatment plan.
As for the fracture on her spine, Rachel will be monitored throughout chemotherapy with a possibility of surgery later down the line.
Because of her personal experiences, Rachel wants to raise awareness 'especially around young people and breast cancer'.
She said: "It’s about raising that awareness that it does happen to women in their twenties and if you do suspect anything always get it checked out and push if you're not happy with it.
"Yes, unfortunately I do have secondary stage four cancer that’s not going to be cured but I had a really good response to my primary diagnosis and I got 10 years clear - that's because I was diagnosed early enough to be diagnosed and treated effectively."
As her prognosis is 'up in the air', the mom has been told it is not curable so friends and family have rallied round to fundraise and buy a campervan so Rachel, partner, James, 39 and daughter, Iris, five, can have 'a little bit of freedom' in between treatment.
You can donate towards Rachel's fundraiser, which has successfully reached its £15,000 target, here.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.