Two friends are urging women to join their battle against cancer this summer by taking part in the Race for Life

Bridie Lincoln, 44, and good friend Viv Cushing, 54, are the founders of the North East breast cancer awareness group Know Your Melons, which encourages women to be breast aware by checking their breasts and making sure they know signs and symptoms of breast cancer. The group was set up in support of Viv, who was diagnosed with triple negative breast cancer in May 2014.

Around 15 out of every 100 breast cancers (15 per cent) are "triple negative", something researchers have only recently found out about. Triple negative breast cancers are cancers that don’t have receptors for the hormones oestrogen, progesterone or the protein Her2. Some commonly used breast cancer treatments, such as hormone therapy or Herceptin, don’t work for triple negative breast cancer as these treatments need to attach to particular receptors, which aren’t present in triple negative cancer. As a result the main treatment for this kind of cancer is usually a combination of strong chemotherapy drugs.

Viv, a mum of five boys, was first diagnosed after spotting a lump in the bath. “I made an appointment with my GP and was sent for a mammogram and MRI scan. I’d always checked myself, but had never had a mammogram before. The test came back positive and showed it had also spread to my lymph nodes.”

Following surgery Viv underwent a gruelling course of chemotherapy and lost her hair, toenails and eyelashes in the process. When her hair started falling out she decided to shave it off and give it to the Little Princess Trust so it could be made into a wig for a child who'd lost their hair to cancer.

“She used to have such beautiful long, dark hair, but it was just falling out in lumps," says Bridie. "It was so moving when she shaved her head. We all wanted to break down in tears for her, but Viv stood strong and didn’t shed a tear. She is amazing.”

After 25 sessions of radiotherapy, Viv is now in remission and will celebrate a year cancer free just two-days before this year’s Race for Life in Newcastle. “It’s only now that I’ve finished all my treatment that it’s just hitting me that I’ve had cancer," she says. "Now I want to do what I can to help other people fight this horrible disease.”

Viv and Bridie are now rallying women to join them in the battle against the cancer by entering this year’s Race for Life, which takes part across the North East, including Darlington on June 7, Gateshead on June 28 and Newcastle on July 12.

“It’s important that women know their bodies and know what is normal for them," says Bridie. "Then if anything does seem different they can do something about it quickly.”

Know Your Melons started after Halloween one year when Bridie had forgotten to buy pumpkins for her children for Halloween. She raced around all the supermarkets but there were none left to buy so she ended up carving three melons for her children. From then on Bridie, a mum of three who runs a haulage company with her husband, has been using melons for Halloween. "When Viv found out she had breast cancer, we decided to turn it into a fundraiser and awareness raising game," she says.

To communicate the message Know Your Melons women are asked to carve a melon with a message or a picture, post it on Facebook saying: “I know my melons, do you know yours?” and then nominate a friend to do the same. "It’s a bit of fun, but with a really serious message for women," says Bridie.

Now the Know Your Melons team will be turning out for Race for Life to take on cancer and encourage other women to know their melons

“Thanks to research, I’m now cancer free and will be around to share more precious moments with my family," says Viv. "I’m determined to help others by raising money so Cancer Research UK can ensure even more people survive, so I’m urging brave ladies across the North East to take part in Race for Life.”

Every day, 40 people are diagnosed with cancer in the North East. Money raised through Race for Life allows Cancer Research UK’s doctors, nurses and scientists to advance research.

  • To enter Race for Life today go to raceforlife.org or call 0300-123-0770. Deadlines for entries locally are: Darlington, June 4; Gateshead, June 25; Newcastle, July 9.