Mother, 28, is battling breast cancer after finding a lump that nurses thought ...

A mother is battling an aggressive form of breast cancer after finding a lump that was believed to be built-up milk from not breastfeeding.

Vicki Keating, 28, of Birmingham, discovered the lump a few weeks after the birth of her daughter, Rey Flower, now eight months.

She assumed the lump was due to a blocked milk duct – something nurses initially agreed with after an ultrasound. 

Ms Keating had more tests done just in case, and they revealed she had triple negative breast cancer in November 2018.

The catering assistant, who will have a double mastectomy next month, is sharing her story to warn other young women to check their breasts.

Ms Keating, who lives with her partner, Gavin Flower, 27, said: 'I wasn't too worried when I first felt a lump in my breast shortly after the birth of my daughter, Rey.

'I assumed it was linked to my recent pregnancy and the doctor agreed it was most likely to be a blocked milk duct.'

A lump in the breast or a red, swollen area that is painful is a symptom of a condition called mastitis in breastfeeding women where the milk is built up. 

In non-breastfeeding women, mastitis most often occurs when the breast becomes infected as a result of damage to the nipple, according to the NHS.  

Ms Keating said: 'Even after I was referred for an ultrasound and the lump was discovered by nurses, they assumed the fluid inside was actually just milk.

'But thankfully they didn't stop their tests there and the lump had a biopsy taken from it.'

Three weeks later, Ms Keating received a letter which asked her to return to hospital for results.

She said: 'I went along on my own as I assumed the lump was benign.

'I never imagined I'd be diagnosed with cancer at such a young age.'

Triple negative breast cancer is a rare breast cancer that occurs in around one in five women with breast cancer. It occurs more commonly in women under the age of 40 and in black women.

Every year 55,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in Britain – the equivalent of 150 cases a day - and around 1,735,000 in the US.

Ms Keating started having chemotherapy just before Christmas and has completed her final round today [April 5].

She said: 'Thankfully doctors don't think it has spread but they won't know until I have surgery.'

Ms Keating has decided she wants to undergo a double mastectomy next month to ensure her triple negative cancer doesn't return.

She added: 'The type of cancer I have doesn't respond to any type of hormonal treatment so after chemotherapy and surgery there's no other options for me.'