A 21-YEAR-OLD who suffered a cancer scare in 2004 today spoke of her relief after she was told the disease had not returned.

Beverley East-Watson, of Clifton, York, has received test results confirming the lump she found in her breast was benign.

She will undergo a minor operation at York Hospital next week to have the lump removed.

Beverley had already been through an ordeal when she managed to defeat thyroid cancer last May.

She said: "I feel very relieved I won't have to go through it all again.

"My family and friends are very relieved too.

"I'd like to say thank you to my family and friends for being so supportive, for putting up with my mood swings caused by the tablets.

"I'm feeling 100 per cent better.

"I feel like a massive weight has been lifted off my mind. I can start planning my life a lot more now."

Beverley said her experiences had inspired her to pursue a career in caring for the elderly.

She said that when she was younger she had helped her parents to look after her grandmother, who had Alzheimer's disease.

Beverley said she also wanted to give something back after so many people had cared for her during her illness.

Beverley said she had been too unwell to go and watch her beloved York City Football Club in action this season, but she was now looking forward to being able to go to a match at KitKat Crescent.

After coming through her cancer scare, she would also like to go travelling.

Beverley was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2004, and was told if the operation to remove her tumour had been done any later, she would not have survived.

The Press reported earlier this month how Beverley was having new tests to see if she had cancer.

Pam East-Watson, Beverley's mother, said: "We honestly didn't think Beverley was going to make her 21st birthday. We're obviously very relieved. We were really worried to begin with.

"I was thinking Oh gosh, it's all going to happen again'.

"So you can imagine when they said the lump was benign it really did come as good news."