CARLEY Hancock is living, walking, running proof of how important Race for Life is.

She has remained strong through the suspicion of cancer, its diagnosis, a double mastectomy and an ongoing course of treatment.

We are honoured to tell her story, just as we are honoured to tell the stories of other people who face down such adversity.

Carley, as we reveal today, is determined not only to raise as much money as possible for people with breast cancer, but also to urge women to seek medical attention if they have the slightest suspicion that something is wrong.

We echo that urging.

Breast cancer, like cancer in general, is at its lowest levels. Survival rates, meanwhile, are at their highest.

One of the major factors in these improvements is increasing awareness among medics and the public alike that early diagnosis is vital.

The truth is plain to see in every study of cancer: the sooner it is diagnosed, the sooner it can be treated and the greater the chance not just of survival but of long-term survival.

Nobody should ever feel that, say, their GP will be annoyed at a person coming to them for advice or examination.

GPs are as busy as they have ever been, but they are only too happy to investigate a patient’s concerns.

Thanks to people like Carley, more of us will be emboldened to come forward and make inquiries that might save our lives.