a mother of three has credited a slice of pizza with saving her life after she detected a breast lump while eating it melanie thorpe, from  cumbria, found the lump while brushing the crumbs from her salami and mushroom pizza off her shirt concerned, she  saw her gp and just five days later was given the devastating news she had breast cancer melanie thorpe, with husband craig, detected the lump in her breast while brushing the crumbs from her salami and mushroom pizza off her shirt  mrs thorpe, 52, said: 'i felt absolutely fine and have always been fit and healthy so i had no idea there could have been something wrong 'it was november 2012 and my youngest son had gone off to university   as a family we always sat at the table to eat, but my husband craig and i had pizza and were sitting with it on our knees 'i dropped some on my shirt and went to brush it off and felt a lump 'i had never noticed it before 'it wasn't big but it was substantial and i could definitely feel it   it wasn't just like when you have a spot on your skin' the next morning she phoned her gp   and was given an appointment within the hour 'they referred me to royal lancaster infirmary and i had an appointment later that day,' said mrs thorpe 'i met with a surgeon and they did scans it was all so fast' just five days after finding the lump, mrs thorpe (pictured before her illness), was given the devastating news she had cancer she underwent a mastectomy, breast reconstruction and chemotherapy  scans revealed she actually had two lumps, both of which were cancerous in january 2013, mrs thorpe underwent eight and a half hours of surgery mrs thorpe, who is mother to adam, 29, alex, 27, and niall, 20, said: 'i had to have a full mastectomy, but they did reconstructive surgery at the same time 'i always say i went to sleep with two boobs, and woke up with two boobs' doctors deemed the surgery to be a success and mrs thorpe went on to have six rounds of chemotherapy she now has six monthly check ups to make sure the cancer has not returned she added: 'the doctors told me had i not found the lump so early it would have grown and been terminal 'so i guess the pizza saved my life' as a result, she is now backing an early diagnosis campaign 'it is so important to get the message across so that people get checked out if they feel any any slight changes,' she said breast lumps are common and have a number of different causes   and 90 per cent of them are benign although most lumps aren't breast cancer, any unusual changes to the breasts should be checked by a gp as soon as possible, explain experts writing for the nhs choices website if your gp finds a lump on examination, they will routinely refer you to be seen by a hospital specialist while 90 per cent of breast lumps are benign, experts stress it's important to be breast aware and take note of any changes or warning signs  there are several types of benign (non cancerous) breast lump, most of which are harmless and are caused by hormonal changes that occur at different times in a woman's life, such as during the menstrual cycle common types of benign breast lump include:  *a fibroadenoma – a firm lump that moves around easily in the breast and is more common in younger women  * a breast cyst – a smooth, firm fluid filled lump most commonly seen in women aged 30 to 60  * a breast abscess – a painful collection of pus that forms under the skin of the breast, usually as the result of a bacterial infection  the website advice stresses it's important to be 'breast aware' so you can identify any problems in your breasts and get them checked out as soon as possible this means being familiar with your breasts and what is normal for them, and examining them regularly for any changes if you are 50 years or over, it's also important to attend breast cancer screening appointments every three years but don't wait until your next screening appointment if you notice any problems in your breast you also should see your gp if you notice any other changes to one or both of your breasts, such as:  * an area of thickened tissue  * nipple discharge, which may contain blood  * a change in the size or shape of your breasts  * dimpling on the skin of your breasts  * a rash on or around your nipples  * a change in your nipple's appearance – for example, becoming sunken into your breast  * persistent pain in your breasts or armpits  * a lump or swelling in your armpits  source: nhs choices 
melanie thorpe 52 the day five days later
melanie thorpe, 52, saw her gp the day after finding the  lump in left breast . 'it wasn't big, but it was substantial   like when you have a spot', she said . was diagnosed with cancer five days later after scans revealed two lumps . underwent mastectomy, reconstruction and chemo and is now cancer free 