A BREAST cancer survivor from Swindon is urging everyone to check themselves for signs of breast cancer and see their doctor regularly.

Alex Dixon was diagnosed with the condition in 2015 when she was just 33 and underwent several weeks of radiotherapy and a double mastectomy before she was given the all-clear.

She said: "Some of my friends and I would probably be dead if we hadn't been told about the symptoms and saw a doctor as soon as possible.

"I didn't have cancer in my family and little lumps can appear on the breast when you're breast-feeding so when I noticed one I assumed it was due to that.

"I was convinced that I was fine, I didn't feel ill but I was told to get it checked out and I'm so glad I did."

The warning comes at the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which aims to raise awareness of breast cancer symptoms, and raise money for research and treatment.

Fundraising events are being organised and pink ribbons will be worn all over the country to highlight the importance of breast awareness, education and research.

Alex added: "Raising awareness is so important.

"Breast cancer can happen when you're young, it can happen when you're pregnant, it can happen to men.

"People need to know the symptoms and go to their doctor straight away,.

"This saves lives, we need to get the message out there.

"I always talk to people who have been diagnosed and I support them on a one-to-one basis because it can be a difficult thing to talk about."

Last year, Alex wrote children’s stories to help kids deal with a family member suffering with the disease and to make it easier for parents to talk to their children about cancer.

According to the most recent statistics from Cancer Research UK, there are more than 55,000 new cases of breast cancer in the UK each year and more than 11,000 people die from the disease.

Though breast cancer has one of the highest survival rates, with 78 per cent of women diagnosed with it surviving for ten years or more, it is important to get the disease diagnosed as early as possible because 27 per cent of cases are entirely preventable.

For more information about Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the research being funded, visit wearitpink.org.