1 year ago
21
ARTICLE AD BOX
Sally Dynevor was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 46
Coronation Street star Sally Dynevor has revealed she fainted when she was told she had breast cancer at the same time that her on-screen character was battling the disease.
The soap star, 60, said she thought her doctor was confusing her with her character Sally Metcalfe.
Earlier that day, she had filmed the scene where she shared her diagnosis with her on-screen husband.
Dynevor is now fronting a campaign to improve breast cancer screening.
The actress, who has played Sally Metcalfe in the ITV show since 1986, recalled how she only checked herself for a lump after working on the soap storyline.
"There was a particular day in 2009, I was reading the scripts," she told BBC Breakfast.
"And I thought I'm just going to go and see our nurse and see what she thinks, because I felt something very, very tiny."
Shortly after filming the scenes, Dynevor was informed that her real life was mirroring that of her character's.
'Just unbelievable'
"I don't think I could have done those scenes if I'd known I had breast cancer," she said.
"When [the doctor] told me, 'You have breast cancer', I fainted.
"Then I said, 'I think you're getting me mixed up with my character'.
"It was just unbelievable."
Dynevor is now fronting a campaign by Prevent Breast Cancer to improve resources to train the next generation of medical staff to work in breast cancer screening.
According to the charity, breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and every year more than 55,900 people are diagnosed.
The charity's Honorary President Lester Barr, who was a researcher on the ITV soap for the breast cancer storyline, said: "Here in the UK, we can be very proud of our NHS breast screening programme, which is aimed at women over 50 and which saves thousands of lives every year.
"As well as that, we have a network of diagnostic breast clinics up and down the country for women of any age who find a lump.
"But what is happening is that we are facing a workforce shortage."
Mr Barr said the UK needed to start breast cancer screening for younger women
He added: "We now need to train the next generation of doctors, nurses, radiographers, radiologists, mammographers."
Dynevor, who is a patron of the charity, said: "When I got breast cancer, I was 46.
"And I thought that you didn't get breast cancer at 46, it was for an older person.
"But yesterday I met a young girl who was 22 when she got diagnosed. So this is really important."
She continued: "You never think that's going to happen to you.
"When somebody tells you that news, and it comes really out of the blue, it's really shocking."
Dynevor, who is mother to Bridgerton and Fair Play star Phoebe Dynevor, as well as daughter Harriet and son Samuel, said: "I have two daughters.
"I don't want my daughters to go through what I've been through so what Prevent is doing is really important."
English (US)