This Morning star confirms cancer has returned live on show – and issues heart-wrenching plea to ITV fans

This Morning’s Deidre Sanders has revealed her breast cancer has returned.

The agony aunt, 79, first announced her diagnosis in September 2022 to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby.

But after months of recovery, her doctors have found that it has returned.

This time, Deidre revealed that she had no symptoms and no lump, as she was able to catch the developing disease early during an annual routine mammogram checkup.

Explaining her treatment plan, she confirmed that she is set to have a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy.

But after months of recovery, her doctors have found that it has returned

She told Cat Deeley and Ben Shepard that she felt lucky because ‘it could have been so much worse’.

Deidre said: ‘Unfortunately, I’ve got to have a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy. I feel lucky, it’s been caught early and the treatment is happening very rapidly.   

‘This is all on the NHS so I think I am so lucky. It could be so much worse. 

‘To be honest, the symptoms I had the first time were a coincidence and not actually a symptom of the cancer as it turns out. 

‘An efficient GP put me on the cancer pathway and I got a very rapid check and treatment. I’ve felt well, I haven’t felt tired or run down.

‘I couldn’t feel anything, it’s very tiny so there’s nothing to feel. It’s purely down to the mammogram which showed it up. 

‘I had an ultrasound and a biopsy and it revealed it was cancer.’

Deidre confessed she was ‘shocked’ by the diagnosis and is now encouraging women to request mammograms. 

This time Deidre revealed that she had no symptoms and no lump as she was able to catch the developing disease early during an annual routine mammogram check up

Explaining her treatment plan, she confirmed that she is set to have a lumpectomy followed by radiotherapy 

She told Cat Deeley and Ben Shepard that she felt lucky because ‘it could have been so much worse’

Currently, the NHS stops offering women mammograms over the age of 70, but they can be requested on the NHS. 

Deidre revealed that ahead of her first diagnosis she had missed out on mammograms for a decade.

She said: ‘I happened to be in a cohort of women who got missed and we didn’t get called. I hadn’t had a mammogram since I was 67, so ten years had gone by. 

‘I didn’t give it a thought. I didn’t know anything about it.

‘But what I do now know is that when you’re over 70, you can request a mammogram on the NHS and you should get one every year. Please, if you’re a woman over 70, request your mammogram. 

‘The reason I’ve had an easy time this time and last time is because it was caught so early.’

Later in Tuesday’s show, Deidre put on a brave display as she took calls from people across the UK who have questions about their health woes. 

The first caller was a lady named Vicky who revealed that following her cancer diagnosis, her children became worried she was ‘going to die’ every time she went to an appointment. 

Deidre offered her support and suggested to Vicky that she could bring her children to the GP appointment to help remove that fear. 

Elsewhere viewers and well wishers flocked to X, formerly known as Twitter, to show the TV star support.

One penned: ‘Wishing you all the best Deidre’

‘Deidre you are a lioness! You’ll get through this we love you’

In September 2022, she told This Morning that she had been diagnosed with cancer after missing a mammogram appointment. 

A the time she said: ‘I think people panic at the word cancer often, and they can be scared of even going to a doctor with their initial worry because they’re terrified of getting a diagnosis, even though getting the diagnosis is what leads to treatment. 

‘We can be so scared about that word so I am really happy to bring it out into the open. 

‘I have to say the breast clinic I have been attending are so kind and caring, they have been so lovely. That is very reassuring.’

It was a month later that she revealed she was given the all-clear.  

In October 2022 she told Alison and Dermot : ‘I’m really good, so I had this teeny, tiny cancer, which was spotted on a mammogram, I’ve had surgery, it’s all out, it’s gone.’  

This Morning airs weekdays from 10am on ITV1 and ITVX.