[ BARBARA Symonds Feared the Worst When She Was Diagnosed With Breast Cancer... ]

BARBARA Symonds feared the worst when she was diagnosed with breast cancer two years ago.

But yesterday the 58-year-old mother ( pictured right) said she felt fitter than ever and paid tribute to the doctors and researchers whose work has helped keep her alive.

‘It is absolutely earth-shattering to be told you have cancer,’ said the retired administrator from Birmingham. ‘My first reaction was that I would be dead by Christmas.

‘But I discovered there is more out there for cancer patients than you can imagine.’ She had surgery to remove the tumour, radiotherapy and now takes tamoxifen.

‘I drew faith from the sheer effort of thousands of people who have devoted their lives to curing cancer,’ she said.

‘I am grateful to all the medical professionals and to the treatment and drugs I was given.

‘Now I know that my chances of survival are good and I have responded really well to treatment.’