Mi~Story: Caroline’s Journey

Caroline Conway, diagnosed at 47

Caroline was a successful wedding and portrait photographer and a proud mum to two boys, then aged 9 and 10, when her life changed with a breast cancer diagnosis at just 47.

Breast cancer was not a stranger to her family, her mother had been diagnosed at 57 - yet Caroline had never been told about breast density and the risks it carries. “I’d never even heard of it,” she recalls. “I remember a CT scan once mentioning lots of cysts and ‘such dense breasts,’ but nobody explained what that meant.”

The Missed Signs

Caroline’s cancer was not detected through routine screening. In fact, she had never had a mammogram before her diagnosis. It was only after noticing her breast pulling while swimming that she sought medical help. The first mammogram showed nothing -her dense breast tissue had masked the tumour. Further investigations with ultrasound and MRI revealed the truth: triple negative breast cancer, Stage 2, Grade 3.

Her journey to diagnosis was far from straightforward. Initial medical assessments left her dismissed and frustrated. “My GP belittled me, and one consultant told me ‘women like you are costing the NHS a fortune.’ Four months later, I went back because the tugging feeling wasn’t abating.”

Living with Dense Breasts

Looking back, Caroline is certain that her dense breast tissue played a major role in the delayed diagnosis. “One hundred percent,” she says. “If I’d known about my breast density earlier, I’d have pushed for more appropriate screening, and things could have been caught sooner.”

At her second hospital, Caroline was able to access yearly MRIs through the NHS, which she continued until 2024. Yet she is still struck by the lack of communication around density. “Nobody ever explained how breast density could hide cancer on a mammogram. I had to research it myself.”

Treatment & Beyond

Caroline underwent chemotherapy, therapeutic mammoplasty, and radiotherapy as part of her treatment. Despite the challenges, she reflects with determination: “I was fortunate to receive the right care eventually, but it should never have taken that long.”

Her story highlights how critical awareness of breast density is, and how understanding it could save lives.