How working on Tickled Pink helped Katie during her own breast cancer experience

As part of the marketing team at Asda, Katie Derry has been helping raise awareness of our Tickled Pink breast cancer charity campaign for the last 18 years – and she says its messages of regularly checking yourself and knowing what to look for were critical when she got her own breast cancer diagnosis.

Katie used a guide from one of Tickled Pink’s charity partners, CoppaFeel!, to make sure she was properly checking her breasts. And when she felt a lump during one of her routine checks in September 2024 she knew she needed to get it checked out. 

She was initially told it was unlikely to be something to worry about, but couldn't shake the thought that there was more to it, so went back for a second, and third, opinion before she was diagnosed with stage two cancer.

Katie, who's 43, said: "I had been to two different breast consultants prior to that to see about this lump which was unusual for me and was told both times it was nothing to worry about. I was told I was young and there’s no family history of breast cancer, but it was still very much praying on my mind and so I sought a third opinion and they pretty much told me there and then that it was cancer. From that point onwards I had the full machinations of treatment, a mastectomy on my right breast, lymph nodes removed, chemotherapy and radiotherapy and now I’m on risk-reducing treatment.

"Even though it was only at the third time of checking that I was diagnosed, I still managed to get it early because I was so proactive checking myself, being seen and making sure I got a conclusive answer about what I was experiencing. I would imagine there’s many women who wouldn’t have gone back a third time. Not everyone’s like that and that's why I want to get across that you must trust your instincts and don’t be afraid to push for answers.

"Because I’ve been involved in Tickled Pink throughout my time with Asda I was exposed to all the important messages, so was really good at regularly checking myself and knew how to do it and what to look out for. I use the CoppaFeel! infographic showing how to check properly, including under the armpits. That was crucial because I had such a good routine and good rigour. That’s why I had noticed that change and was able to monitor that. Even before my diagnosis, Tickled Pink added value to my life because I knew to be vigilant."

Katie returned to work in February this year and has embraced the return to her regular life.

She said: "I am now well, I am cancer free, back full time at work and doing really well. The medication I take to reduce my risk in the future makes me tired so there’s a bit of adapting my lifestyle. It’s not quite back to normal but it’s a new normal.

"There’s definitely some positive things I have taken out of the experience – I have got a new lust for life and appreciation for the normal things in life. I was skipping back to work. Every day is a blessing and I don’t ever take it for granted.

"Sometimes women are too scared to check – there’s almost a reluctance to check themselves in case they find something untoward. But facing the fear is so important because if you catch breast cancer early it's so treatable. And if more people knew how treatable it was with an early diagnosis maybe they would be less scared to check themselves."

Katie and her husband John decided not to tell their children Oliver, 13, and nine-year-old Mia, until later on. He took a year off work to support her during her treatment. Katie said: "The day after the doctors told me it could be cancer my son was due to start secondary school and it was such a big milestone for him and it comes with anxiety and I didn’t know the detail of things so decided to keep it from the kids."

Katie wore a cold cap to prevent hair loss during the chemotherapy treatment – and it worked.

She said: “The first 20 minutes were painful and I felt sick but I acclimatised to it and kept my hair. I think losing my hair would have been a big shock, but the cold cap allowed me to look normal. I was like ‘cancer’s not having this one!’"

Katie is using her experience, and her marketing expertise, to help other women in a similar situation. She uses her Instagram account @toughtittyclub to document her experience – "Ladies who are newly diagnosed quite often reach out to me via my account for support".

She said: "I was determined that as soon as I finished my treatment I wanted to drive awareness and share my story, because I think personal stories always have a greater impact, and being able to talk about it helps me as well."

As Tickled Pink celebrates its 30th anniversary Katie says she's really proud of everything it has achieved – and has felt its impact throughout her experience.

She said: "It's such a huge milestone. To me, Tickled Pink means hope because it’s done so much to improve awareness and reduce embarrassment and stigma.

"I can’t explain how it feels to be told you’ve got cancer. It’s like the world opens up and swallows you alive. One of the first things they gave me after my diagnosis was from Tickled Pink partner Breast Cancer Now with all of the terms I was likely to hear and information on what to expect. That gave me a lot of comfort and hope and I felt quite positive going into my treatment.

"I used the Breast Cancer Now forum during my treatment and met ladies who were in a similar position to me. You feel lonely and like you are the only person in the world going through it, but the forums helped me get through it. And after I had finished my treatment I did the Moving Forward course which is funded by money raised by Tickled Pink. You work out your plan, talk about how you feel, what a new normal might look like and how to find your place in the world again."

Since returning to work at Asda Katie has been directly involved with Tickled Pink, including the Kylie Minogue Tickled Pink T-shirt launch. She said: "It’s amazing to work on. When I came back into the business people were a bit reluctant to get me involved with Tickled Pink in case it was triggering for me, but I was like ‘let me at it!’ and couldn’t wait to get involved."

She's also speaking at a number of different Tickled Pink events and joined Asda community champions at a reception at the Houses of Parliament to show how much Tickled Pink has achieved over the last three decades. She said: "The passion our community champions have for Tickled Pink is so lovely to see and so inspiring to know that together we can do more."

She's also thrown herself into fundraising – raising £2,000 from an 80s music bingo night last year and arranging a similar event for this year.

For 30 years Asda Tickled Pink has supported breast cancer awareness to make checking your boobs, pecs or chests as easy as your Asda shop. To date, more than £100 million in funds have been raised for world-class research, vital education and life-changing support – delivered by charity partners Breast Cancer Now and CoppaFeel!