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At the age of 36, Denise Ashe was diagnosed with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer. Although an enormous shock, from the start Denise was determined that cancer was not going to hold her back from living her best life. Registration for this year’s Great Pink Run is now open and in this episode Denise chats to Aisling about how exercise and running have played a big role in her recovery. Denise is joined by nutritionist Orla Walsh. Orla kindly provided BCI with a set of nutritional tips to help prepare for the event and in this episode she discusses these and other dietary questions and concerns those diagnosed may have. The Great Pink Run takes place in Dublin’s Leopardstown racecourse and surrounding areas on October 9th, with a second event taking place in Kilkenny a week later on October 16th. If you can’t make the events in Dublin or Kilkenny, you can take part in a virtual sense between the 9th and 16th. To register go to greatpinkrun.ie

A breast cancer diagnosis effects everyone in the family not just the person diagnosed. In this episode, BCI CEO Aisling Hurley chats with two husbands, Steve Kelly and Jamie Crawford. Steve is married to Tanya and Jamie to Georgie. Both men have travelled with their wives along their breast cancer journeys and their paths to recovery. One in nine women will develop breast cancer in the course of their lifetime yet there is very little information available for partners. This episode of More Than A Lump attempts to spotlight on a partner’s perspective and aims to reveal valuable insights and perspectives which might help loved ones navigate their way through the range of experiences, emotions and challenges – once again demonstrating that breast cancer is more than a lump.

Consultant Radiologist, Dr Deirdre Duke and Outreach Coordinator and breast cancer survivor Olivia Carpenter speak to Aisling about the early stages of diagnosis, in terms of the interactions with the triage and assessment teams.
Soon after she completed a ten-kilometre charity run, Olivia’s husband, Gavin, gave her a big hug. As he held her close, he felt a lump in her right breast. He became alarmed and suggested that she get it medically checked. There began a journey for the Mum of three. A journey that brought her into contact with a host of medical professionals and ultimately to us here in Breast Cancer Ireland where she has been an active Ambassador and Outreach Coordinator visiting schools , companies and community groups sharing important messages about understanding good breast health.
Dr Duke shares her own reflections on how she prepares to tell women that they have breast cancer, she shares an update on the fantastic new Beaumont Breast Centre which was recently opened by First Lady, Sabina O’Higgins and she explains exactly what this centre will mean for the over 10,000 women who will be seen there annually.
This episode is proudly supported by Goodbody.

In this final episode of Season 1, Aisling speaks with Teresa Costello, a breast cancer survivor, whose initial symptoms of breast cancer were more than a lump. The orange peel-like rash on her breast was one of the tell-tale signs her consultant pointed out to her, when the then 36-year-old, was examined in the Breast Clinic. The conversation focuses on how being diagnosed with breast cancer has utterly changed the direction of Teresa’s life and how her involvement with Breast Cancer Ireland as a Patient Ambassador for the past eight years, helping to raise vital funds to support pioneering research, has made an impact.

Teresa then turns the table and asks Aisling a few questions on what’s coming up for Breast Cancer Ireland over the summer and into the future. Aisling shares details of the charity’s education and awareness programmes, being the beneficiary of the 100k in 30days challenge organised by Niall Carroll and Cara McAdam from Blackrock, Co Louth, taking place this June, the plans for the Great Pink Run coming back in October after two years as a virtual event, and significantly how further investment into research and clinical trials will change the landscape of the disease in Ireland.

Dr Monica Peres is a GP based in Cork. She has an impressive 52k followers on TikTok and 64k followers on Instagram, where she gives health advice to her followers. In this episode, Dr Monica speaks to Aisling about some of the barriers women face in relation to checking their breasts regularly. She talks about what the most common ‘misconceptions’ about breast cancer are, in her experience, and why the disease might not always present as a lump.