A keen cyclist and nurse from Chrishall is going on a fundraising bike tour after recovering from cancer.

Debbie Pitfield was diagnosed with cancer in December last year, and embarked on her self-described 'Tour de Cancer', which she said was "a journey with many ups and downs, quite a lot of potholes and one big mechanical failure".

Royston Crow: Debbie Pitfield and her husband Ian are cycling across the length of the UK to raise money for Cancer Research UKDebbie Pitfield and her husband Ian are cycling across the length of the UK to raise money for Cancer Research UK (Image: Cancer Research UK)

She has been clear of cancer since March, and is now preparing to cycle from Land's End to John O'Groats for Cancer Research UK, having already raised more than £3,700.

Debbie said: “A cousin has recently died of cancer and I think that just highlights how, although we’re curing a lot more people, we still need more research to find out how to treat others better.”

Debbie, who will turn 60 on September 19, was diagnosed after attending a routine breast screening. An area of calcium was found on her left breast, so a biopsy was carried out and an appointment to discuss the results made on New Year's Eve.

Further testing revealed additional areas of concern, so an MRI scan and what was now a fourth set of biopsies were carried out in January.

Debbie said: "This was the big mechanical failure. The scanner had broken down, so my MRI had to be rescheduled. This day was truly awful. I had a big meltdown and sobbed my heart out."

After having surgery on February 9, Debbie was given the all-clear in March and underwent radiotherapy in April to reduce the risk of the cancer returning.

Debbie, whose mum died of ovarian cancer, said the "most difficult thing" about her diagnosis was telling her three children.

She is now looking forward to cycling across the UK with her husband Ian, starting on September 13. They will be joined on the ride by other cyclists from the Royal College of Pathologists, in celebrating of its 60th anniversary.

As well as raising money, she also wants to raise awareness of screening.

She said: “I want people to go for screening because without my mammogram I’d have had no idea - my cancer was lobular, so I probably wouldn’t have had a lump and possibly would have had diddly squat of an idea until something more serious was happening.”