Fiona Burkeman, who has two adult daughters and a son,
tells how a grumbling hip joint and the vigilance of her gynaecologist saved
her life.
“A scan
for a hip problem and the vigilance of my consultant saved my life”
I went for
a scan purely because my replacement hip (a legacy of years of showjumping) was
starting to cause pain after 12 years of working perfectly. My hips seemed
fine, but the scan showed a cyst on my ovary. The sonographer said it looked
innocuous and a blood test to check for cancer markers came back clear, but my
specialist suggested re-scanning it in two moths’ time.
The repeat
scan showed the cyst had grown by half a centimeter. It still looked harmless,
but my gynaecologist said he wanted me to come in for surgery in three days to
have my ovaries removed. I was shocked, but he said he was just being cautious.
After the operation, he said that he was sorry that I had to go through all
that – everything looked fine with no sign of cancer in my body. Tissue samples
went to the lab for a routine biopsy and I went home incredibly relieved.
He was so
reassuring I almost didn’t keep the follow-up appointment. But I thought I
should, just to make certain. The consultant and I talked casually and he said,
“I’m very sorry, but you have high-grade aggressive ovarian cancer”
I was
shocked and finally managed to ask, “What happens now?” He told me he would
refer me to The Royal Marsden, where I would have a radical hysterectomy
followed by six months of chemotherapy.
When all
the treatment was over, although relieved I didn’t feel elated; I was
frightened. The statistics are so bleak that you spend your life living in
fear. Every three months I go for a check-up and will do so for five years.
I’ve lost
weight, I exercise and eat a healthy diet. I went to the Penny Brohn Cancer
Care centre in Bristol to learn about nutrition, how to boots my immune system
and the benefits of supplements.
My
experience isn’t typical, but little is with ovarian cancer. That’s why
I’m so passionate about raising awareness. My encounter would have been very
different if my consultant had trusted the blood tests. I just want to do what
I can to get the message out there. I have been very fortunate to be closely
involved with Target Ovarian Cancer, who have been so informative and have literally
provided a lifeline for me.
Sara-Lois Cunningham, 41, a singer and singing
teacher, is married to Andrew, a music publisher. They live in Tunbridge Well,
Kent with their children, two and three.
“I was
lucky my symptoms were so obvious”
In 2010,
caught up in moving house, I ignored my expanding waistline for a few months
even though I could feel a large lump in my stomach. It sounds ridiculous, but
I had so much on.
When I did
confide in my GP, she referred me to a consultant, who warned me I had a cyst
on the left ovary, which could rupture at any time. I had an operation and the
ovary and the cyst were removed. After it was tested, I was told it had been
malignant. There then followed four months of chemotherapy.
Now one
year on, I’m back to full strength. I take pleasure in everything I do and
though I worry about it returning, I am moving from three-monthly to
six-monthly checks. I’m thankful the cyst made my symptoms obvious as for so
many women they are vague.
The figures
UK survival
rates are among the lowest in Europe at 36%. A large benchmark study is under
way to determine the cause, but it’s widely believed this is as a result of
late detection due to lack of awareness on the part of health professionals and
patients.
The first
results of the Department of Health’s International Cancer Benchmarking Study
showed that late diagnosis in the UK is a major contributor to its overall poor
survival rates.
Women with
ovarian cancer are five times more likely to die within a month of diagnosis
than women with breast cancer (11% vs 2%)
