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СпутникиРНSpaceXРоскосмосNASAMeera Kotecha only went to the doctors to have it checked out after talking to her sister
09:50, 20 Jul 2026Updated 10:24, 20 Jul 2026
A breastfeeding mum who dismissed her breast lump as a blocked milk duct later discovered it was actually a deadly illness. Meera Kotecha, 39, first noticed a lump in her left breast in December 2024 while breastfeeding her son, Rio, who is now three.
She dismissed it as a blocked milk duct for several months - until her own sister, Kaajal, 44, mentioned she was getting a lump checked out and it occurred to Meera to do the same. While Kaajal's lump was nothing to be concerned by, an ultrasound and biopsy revealed Meera had hormone-positive breast cancer.
She then had a series of scans, tests and diagnostics to work out a course of treatment and assess any spread - and fortunately it had not spread beyond the breast. She had 16 rounds of intensive chemotherapy in a bid to shrink the tumour ahead of a removal surgery.
She found out a week after the surgery that she was cancer-free, but still had 20 rounds of radiotherapy to prevent any recurrence. Because the cancer was hormone-positive, meaning oestrogen and progesterone could feed it, she had to go through a medical menopause, meaning she and husband Vivek, 43, can't have any more children now.
Meera finished her radiotherapy in December 2025 and has adopted a new mindset of gratitude following the terrifying journey. She is sharing her story to raise awareness of the symptoms, particularly as a person from an Indian background where she says "there can be so much stigma around cancer".
Meera, a senior account director from Middlesex, Greater London, said: "I noticed the lump but I was newly postpartum and breastfeeding, and many mothers get lumps and bumps when breastfeeding.
"I thought it was a blocked milk duct or mastitis, and getting it checked just wasn't on my radar. But when my sister told me she'd had a lump checked, it prompted me to think about my own lump.
"I had a mammogram and ultrasound, and I felt the shift in tone in the room when they saw the mammogram on the screen and asked to do a biopsy. Once I learned I had cancer, I then thought about the small chance that it could have spread and found its way to my brain, bones or lungs already.
"I had 16 rounds of harsh chemotherapy, and I did cold-cap to save my hair, but I ended up losing it. Having to explain that to my daughter, Serena, seven, was the hardest thing.
"Now I'm cancer-free, it's made me focus on where I find joy in life, I realise there are so many wonderful things to be happy about. If my sister hadn't spoke to me about her lump when she did, I might be looking at much worse outcomes."
Meera put her lump down to a basic breastfeeding complication when she first found it, and didn't consider the possibility of it being something more serious. But in late February 2025, her sister mentioned getting something similar of her own checked out, and Meera grew concerned she hadn't taken her own lump more seriously.
She said: "I started to panic. I felt my breast and realised it was a sizeable lump, but I had ignored it before, so I couldn't tell if it had grown."
In early March 2025 she contacted her GP and was referred to a breast clinic, and had a mammogram and ultrasound done on the lump, which was measured at 35mm. When the results were suspicious they conducted a biopsy to get a better idea of the growth.
A week later they confirmed it to be cancer and further tests showed it was grade two hormone positive HER2 negative invasive ductal carcinoma. She said: "Then, I felt naive for ignoring it, but I was 37 at the time, I didn't think cancer was something I'd have to deal with at a young age.
"I thought the possibility of getting it seemed low, it didn't cross my mind. Born and bred in the UK, I come from an Indian background, and I've found that in my wider community there is so much stigma around cancer, people hardly speak about it."
Her chemotherapy began in April 2025, first four rounds of doxorubicin - dubbed 'the red devil' for its colouring and strength - before a further 12 rounds of another form. She said: "The chemo was the harshest thing to deal with. After my first round, it took me five days just to be able to walk upstairs unaided again because I was so weak. I had hair loss, nausea, and fatigue too."
By September 2025, her chemotherapy had finished, and she underwent her surgery to remove the tumour, which had been shrunk by the chemo. She then had 20 rounds of radiotherapy which concluded in December 2025.
Meera said: "When I started the process I looked and felt healthy, by the end I was sore and weak from the chemotherapy and surgery."
Now she has to take a daily tablet to block her oestrogen production and have a monthly injection to stop her ovaries from producing any more oestrogen, in case any micro cancer cells remain, she said. She also takes a targeted therapy drug, has a six-monthly infusion to prevent her bone density from decreasing, and takes a nonhormonal drug to manage her menopause symptoms.
But so far, Meera has remained cancer free, and feels positive as she opts to share her story to encourage others to be vigilant around symptoms such as breast lumps. She said: "I am in a position now where I have way more good days than bad.
"We should be talking more about it, and checking our boobs every month. I really believe that representation is hugely important, and I want everyone across my community and wider to learn the symptoms of breast cancer and make sure they go the GP when they notice anything new or unusual. It could save your life."
Manveet Basra, associate director of public health, inclusion and awareness at Breast Cancer Now, said: “Two thirds of breast cancers are found by breast checking, so learn the signs and symptoms of breast cancer today and get into the habit of checking your breasts regularly.
"There’s no right time to check. And building it into your self-care routine could help to ensure you check regularly – you could do it in the shower or bath, when getting dressed or in bed before you go to sleep.”