A COUPLE who were both diagnosed with cancer within a year of each other have urged people to report their symptoms to their doctor if they think something is wrong.

Tracey Horsburgh found a lump on her breast in February 2015 and despite initially being told by experts it was unlikely to be anything serious - she was diagnosed with breast cancer a month later.

She went through gruelling months of treatment including a mastectomy, full lymph node clearance, chemotherapy which caused her hair to fall out and radiotherapy.

Husband Matt, 42, a former Lance Bombardier in the Army, gave up his job to look after his wife and two daughters Charlotte and Isabelle.

But within weeks of Tracey being told she was out of the woods, Matt collapsed while golfing with friends.

Tests revealed he had developed a 13cm tumour on his kidney with the cancer spreading to his lung and liver.

Tracey, 43, said her husband had showed signs of illness but the pair put it down to the stress of looking after his family.

She said: “It was mainly really bad fatigue - he was getting in from work really tired - and weight loss.

“It was when I was going through my treatment and we assumed it was the stress of it coming out in him.

“The symptoms went on for a few months, he got a nose bleed once, but again we put it down to stress.”

After collapsing, Matt was rushed to the doctors and blood tests led to him going on the cancer pathway.

“We thought they were being over cautious and never thought it could happen to us both,” said Tracey.

“There was a two week wait for the results and we were thinking no news is good news but we were eventually told he had a tumour which had spread.”

Matt had an operation to remove the tumour, and was then started on a chemotherapy tablet before applying for a drug trial at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.

He was selected for the trial but was part of the group given the standard drug, rather than the new one, and he continued working as a taxi driver to make ends meet despite a string of side effects.

Tragically in March, 12 months after his diagnosis, Matt was told the drugs had stopped working and the cancer had spread still further to his stomach.

Doctors started his on an immunotherapy treatment, and after initial positive results, Matt’s health regressed and steroids he was given to try to combat his fatigue have resulted in him contracting medical diabetes because of an allergic reaction.

He is now due to start his next round of treatment this week.

Tracey said: “Now we are on his third treatment and he has been told he will never work again and the after effects are going to be horrendous.

“It is hard and it is unlikely he is going to make old age.

“We are trying to buy him time and hopefully get to Christmas. We know it is going to be a rough ride.

“You expect it is something you might have to face in your sixties and seventies but not at this age.

“You do start to think how unfair it is but our sense of humour is getting us through it. That and our girls.

“The point I want to get across to people is don’t ignore the symptoms. “Matt and I were both 41 at time of diagnosis and never thought this could happen to us.”

Tracey, who is now back working night shifts at Sainsbury’s to try to support the family said her own cancer scare impacted on her daily life.

She said: “The mastectomy did not bother me but the hair loss took away my femininity.

“When you are out people stare and they don’t mean to, I never wanted those sympathetic looks.

“We just sort of tried to get on with it.

“The hardest bit was me thinking I was putting everyone through it.

“It puts your friends and family through so much. It impacts on everything.”

Friends have started a fundraising page to try and help the family stay in their home. To donate visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mattandtracey.