Labour MP Dawn Butler diagnosed with breast cancer and praises mammogram ‘for saving her life’

MP praises NHS for catching cancer early and hopes to make full recovery

Labour MP Dawn Butler has spoken about her ‘shock’ diagnosis (PA Archive)

Labour MP Dawn Butler has revealed she has been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The 52-year-old, who represents Brent Central in London, said she would be taking time off work to recover following an operation.

Ms Butler said the cancer cells were discovered at a “very early stage” during a routine mammogram towards the end of last year.

“Of course, everything stood still as it does when you hear the dreaded C-word - it is a shock but an early diagnosis means that it is something that I will get through and over,” she said in a statement on social media on Monday.

“The NHS has caught my cancer early, the operation was a complete success and I will make a full recovery.”

The MP hopes to make a full recovery (PA Archive)

The Labour MP added: “However, I now have to take time off work for my recovery. Everyone who knows me knows that I am a workaholic and I love what I do – but unless I listen to medical advice and recover well, I will not be able to give my best.”

Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, tweeted on Monday: “Dawn, your bravery, strength and determination shine through. I am sorry you’re going through this, but know that I, and the whole Party, are behind you.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Ms Butler said: “A mammogram saved my life”.

“Without a mammogram, my cancer wouldn’t have been discovered. And there are a million women who haven’t had their mammogram.”

She added: “They missed it because of Covid. They estimate there are 9,000 women who are walking around with breast cancer and they don’t know it. There will be women who will die if their breast cancer is not discovered. And needlessly so.”

The number of women not screened for breast cancer rose by 50 per cent during the Covid pandemic, a charity said last year. Earlier in the year, other research from Breast Cancer Now estimated thousands of Britons could be living with undiagnosed breast cancer due to the pandemic interrupting services.

NHS figures earlier this month showed less than half of women were being seen following an urgent breast cancer referral.