A woman who used her experience of undergoing a double mastectomy at 27 to set up a support group has retired after 10 years of helping others.

When Rachel Brastock had her breasts removed she was put in contact with a woman in her 60s for support, but the only thing they had in common was having had mastectomies.

She went on to become a counsellor with Breast Cancer Care, helping other women, and it was during the training sessions that she met up with Chris Cranney, who lived near her and had been diagnosed with cancer at the age of 39.

The pair hit upon the idea of forming their own support group to fulfil the needs of younger women being treated with cancer so that they could discuss the issues that affect them.

Young Women 4 Young Women group, which meets at Frenchay Hospital, is run as a drop-in session where women can ask anything they want about treatment and living with cancer.

The sessions run on the first Sunday of every month, irrespective of holidays, and the pair have only missed one day – when Ms Brastock, of Bradley Stoke, got married.

Mrs Cranney, of Little Stoke, will continue to run the group in her absence and the pair will remain firm friends.

Ms Brastock, now 48, had her mastectomy 21 years ago after she was diagnosed with a pre-cancerous condition known as lobular carcinoma in situ – LCIS – which put her at a much higher risk of developing cancer in the future.

She had reconstruction immediately after her breasts were removed, using silicone implants.

She said: "At the time there was no specialist support, no breast care centres and no breast care nurses, like there are now.

"I contacted the Mastectomy Association, as it was known at the time, and they put me in touch with another woman who had been through what I had.

"I was 27 and she was married and in her 60s and the only thing we had in common was that we had had double mastectomies.

"It is statistically harder for young women to meet young women in the same position because most women with breast cancer are in their 60s. Unless you happen to have an appointment at the same time as another young woman it is quite hard.

"A support group for young women is not that common, either. There are a few more now, but we were one of the first."

Ms Brastock, who was a trainer in the air force and now works for BAE Systems. She said: "We talk about fertility, shaving legs, dating – it is more about what women want to talk about than how old they are. It depends on what people want to talk about.

"Sometimes people want to ask about reconstruction. We are quite happy to show our results. And some people need chemotherapy or radiotherapy and want to know what others had and what it is like.

"People come along as long as they need to. We try to do it so people don't feel they have to book in advance. And they don't have to stay for the whole two hours."

Mrs Cranney, 53, had a mastectomy and reconstruction, using muscle, 14 years ago.

She said: "After I had been through that and felt the time was right, I contacted Breast Cancer Care to become a support volunteer.

"When you are first diagnosed you feel like you are the only person it is happening to.

"It started off with the breast nurse at Frenchay asking us to speak to people about our experiences and then we were asked to set up a support group.

"We have tried to turn our experience of breast cancer into something positive."

Mrs Cranney has two grown-up sons and works for Barnardo's. She said: "Rachel's life has changed and she is moving on to other things but the support group will continue. I've got no intentions of moving away from it."

For more information about the group visit www.youngwomen4youngwomen.com.