Derry councillor draws on family loss to drive breast cancer appeal
Sinn Féin's Aisling Hutton reflects on personal loss to ensure local women understand the value of early detection
Sinn Féin representative Aisling Hutton has called on council to promote breast cancer screening attendance among local women.
During July’s meeting of Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Health and Community Committee, councillor Hutton, whose mother and maternal grandmother both died as a result of breast cancer, made members aware of The Lobular Moon Shot Project.
Councillor Hutton noted that despite being the second most common type, lobular breast cancer has historically received far less research attention.
She added: “Dr Susan Michaelis founded the Moon Shot Project in 2023 after living with invasive lobular breast cancer herself. She became a tireless campaigner for increased research funding, having been diagnosed in 2013 after her cancer was initially missed on a mammogram and an ultrasound, because the lobular breast cancer doesn't present as a lump, so a breast exam doesn't give you an indication that there's something wrong.
“Unfortunately, Dr Michael died in July 2025, but her campaign continues and has attracted widespread cross-party support at Stormont. Our MLAs met with the organisation last week.
“But I want our council to make people aware of this type of breast cancer. Not everybody knows it exists and it's not felt upon a breast exam, so it is important that women in their 50s do attend for their screening because this can be picked up and they can receive the treatment.
“My maternal grandmother died of breast cancer in 1981. My mother took breast cancer in 1994 and lived until 1999. The difference between my grandmother's length of time living with breast cancer compared to my mother's was a lot; my mummy lived for five years.
“The research provided the appropriate treatment to tackle the breast cancer, which gave her five more years for her family, where my granny didn't have that.
“The breast cancer that they both had is now treatable and you will live your life to the full, so campaigning, research, it's not wasted money I have seen the progress from 1981 to 2026, I have lived experience of it.
“I also want to commend the charities locally here as well who are promoting this, like Hive Cancer Support and our local MacMillan, so it's just for council to ensure that people know about this type of breast cancer.”