health

Sherrie was diagnosed with breast cancer this week. She wants all women to see this photo.

At the end of June, while trying on swimming costumes at a store, Sherrie Rhodes, 37, noticed her right breast looking a bit dimpled.

The mother of three, from East Yorkshire, England, remembered reading on Facebook that dimples can be a sign of cancer, so she made an appointment with her doctor.

Sherrie Rhodes was diagnosed with breast cancer earlier this week. Image via Facebook.

Having no other symptoms, she wasn't too worried. But after being referred to a clinic for scans and biopsies, Rhodes was told the devastating news that she had breast cancer.

Now she's shared an intimate picture of her symptoms online to urge other women to be more aware of changes in their own breasts.

"Yesterday I was diagnosed with breast cancer," she wrote alongside an image of her dimpled breast on Facebook.

"It came as a total shock as this...is the only symptom I had."

Added Rhodes: "Please check your breast regularly and don't ignore anything that is different. If I hadn't seen a post like this previously I wouldn't have known that this dimpling was a sign of cancer."

Speaking to Hull Daily Mail, Rhodes said that even in the midst of the shock of her diagnosis, she knew she wanted to share her story. "I decided to do the post almost straight away," she said.

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"It's an intimate area and I was nervous about doing it but thought I'd do it in a delicate way and thought it would be worth it if it helped just one person."

Rhodes' post has now been shared over 500 times, and others have shared messages of support for the mum.

"Sharing your story and raising awareness so recently after [your] news is very brave," one friend wrote.

"What a fantastic thing do by showing awareness for everyone else," another added.

Cancer Council Australia says women should be aware of any changes in the look or feel of their breasts.

Changes like lumps in the breast, or puckering and dimpling of the skin, as well as persistent breast pain and change in the shape or size should be checked with a doctor as soon as possible.

Women between the ages of 40 and 75 are able to access free screening mammograms every two years via BreastScreen Australia.

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