The family of a Bradford woman with cancer are furious that she has had to wait four months for a life-saving operation to remove a breast.

They say that that the 42-year-old, who wants to be known only as Helen, has suffered emotional and psychological trauma waiting for the mastectomy after doctors found a cancerous lump.

She is due to have her right breast removed on Monday, but originally went to see her GP at the beginning of June.

The family are now considering making a formal complaint to hospital chiefs.

It was August before Helen was given an appointment, ultrasound and mammogram at the new, one-stop breast clinic at St Luke's Hospital, September when she had an operation to remove the lump and the end of September before she was told it was cancerous.

The delay has been criticised by patients' groups who say guidelines state most women should be diagnosed within two weeks of seeing their doctor and operated on within five weeks.

The woman's elder sister said: "October is supposed to be breast-awareness month but what is the point of women being aware if there are not enough resources in Bradford to treat them quickly?''

Helen, who lives in Saltaire, said: "It was a long time to wait and it's been difficult for me, walking round with a tumour for months."

Lesley Sterling-Baxter, of Bradford Community Health Council, said: "I know how distressing it for people with a cancer diagnosis and it seems this woman has slipped through the net."

A spokesman for the Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust said: "Many improvements have been made to our breast-care service over the past 12 months with the aim of speeding up the diagnosis and, where appropriate, the subsequent treatments of the 2,500 women referred to us for examination each year."

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