Upcoming scenes will see Chas, played by Lucy Pargeter, enjoy a new romance with village doctor Liam Cavanagh, played by Jonny McPherson until Liam tells her he has felt a lump in her breast.
Having seen her mother Faith through a tragic cancer story the news hit Chas hards and she goes into denial, and once alone Chas is visibly full of fear.
Although Dr Liam does his best to reassure her that it could be a cyst or something benign and not cancer, he does insist she follow this up without delay by making an appointment to see her GP. Before long following a trip to the breast clinic for diagnostic tests, the news is soon given that she has triple negative breast cancer.
Shell-shocked by the news, Chas initially decides to keep her diagnosis to herself. As a mother to a young daughter, she is keen to stay healthy, and with her mother’s history at the forefront of her thoughts, Chas is well aware of the potential implications.
‘When this story was first pitched, we were acutely aware of how important it was to explore this. With Chas’s family history of breast cancer and Chas being such a strong character, and in many ways the bedrock of the Dingles, we wanted to show the impact not just on her, but on her immediate family,’ explained Emmerdale producer Kate Brooks. ‘We approached Breast Cancer Now as we wanted to depict this story in the most authentic way possible. Any light we can shed on this disease and encourage and remind people to routinely check their breasts can hopefully help lead to more positive outcomes.’
Chas’s diagnosis will be emotional and frightening for her with the added stress and worry following her mother Faith’s own tragic cancer story.
The programme is working with the charity Breast Cancer Now who are helping the production for this long running storyline. Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK with one woman diagnosed every ten minutes. Emmerdale have been working with Breast Cancer Now’s clinical nurse specialists for this long running story.
Emmerdale airs weeknights at 7.30pm on ITV1