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Hello! 39 y.o fella from Dublin. Born with FAP - De nuevo! In and out of Temple Street & Crumlin and had so many tubes and proceedures. Had Total Colectomy with Ileo-Anal and J-Pouch at 16 Now its getting agressive in my Duodenum and will require more surgery this year. Im seeing the surgeon in Vincent's in the coming weeks. You gotta be strong to live with FAP but im feeling quite weak and scared now. Anyone out there with this Beautiful Condition? Id really love to connect and relate to another human being about this. Much love! and thanks for reading

Christmas as joyful and a happy time of the year can equally be a very challenging  and stressful time for some.  Dealing with cancer adds another layer of stress and complexity, here are some tips that may help you over the Christmas period.Make sure you have contact details for the service you are attending or who to contact over the Christmas period, this could be the hospital service or maybe out of hours GP services.  Do not put off making contact if any issues or concerns arise, it is important to have your concerns assessed by the medical team.Make sure you have enough of your medication to cover over the Christmas period as there may be limited access to pharmacies over the Christmas period.  Check your pharmacy opening hours especially if you are expecting to be discharged over the Christmas period.Talk to your medical team about your plans for over the festive period, an important consideration may be your immunity. Accept help, people may have offered to help with the cooking, organizing gifts or even help with the decorations.Cancer can have a big financial impact.  Try not to put pressure on yourself this year, writing a thoughtful card or a small gift or token may be just as appreciated.Talk to your loved ones about the plans, it is ok to say no or to have a more simple Christmas this year.  Try not to put pressure on yourself, if you need to take a break its ok to go have a lie down.Try enjoy yourself 😊If you need support or have any questions, please contact our support line on 1800 200 700 or by emailing supportline@irishcancer.ie. The support line is open 9am -5pm on the 27th, 28th and 29th of December. We are closed on Christmas day, St Stephens day and New years Day. The Nurses on the support line would like to express our warm wishes to you this Christmas. 

Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers in Ireland. Early detection of lung cancer does improve survival. If you have any symptoms of lung cancer it is important that you get these reviewed by your GP. Symptoms of lung cancer include:A cough that doesn’t go away, or a change in a long-term coughWheezing, difficulty breathing or shortness of breathRepeated chest infections that won’t go away, even after antibioticsCoughing up blood-stained phlegm (sputum)Pain in your chest, especially when you cough or breathe inDifficulty swallowingUnexplained weight loss/ appetite lossIf you have any of these symptoms it is important to have them reviewed by your GP. After reviewing you, your GP may recommend that you are referred to a Rapid Access Lung Clinic for further investigations. Rapid access clinics provide initial investigations for those with suspected lung cancer and help reduce the time waiting for investigations and a diagnosis. You can contact our nurses on the Support Line if you have any questions or would like information about supports available. Our Support Line number is 1800 200 700, Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm. 

Hello all, I am Aayushee, I am currently living in cork to support my sister on her cancer journey. We are originally from India. I have a doubt, my sister was admitted in mercy university hospital cork for 26 days as she developed an infection in surgical site post surgery, we haven’t received any discharge/ treatment summary containing the details of her treatment during that duration. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy and we would need the same details when she is done with her treatment as this would be helpful in taking it back to India for second opinions from doctors. How can I get these? We had reached out to FOI for scan reports and have received them, but I am still not clear about these treatment summary details.

Gynaecological cancers are those that affect the female reproductive system and include womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal cancers. This September the aim is to provide a better understanding of these cancers and their treatments. If you have been diagnosed with any of these cancer types our Supportline has experienced cancer nurses that can answer your queries in confidence. Treatments for gynaecological cancers include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal therapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. The treatment you will be offered depends on a number of factors and will be explained to you by your doctor and nurse. It is important to understand why you are being offered this treatment and the possible risks or side effects it may cause. Ask questions if you need anything explained. This information may feel overwhelming so remember support is available for you during this time. Your hospital nurse can help you navigate your treatment options and provide advice on managing possible side effects. One possible effect from gynaecological cancer treatment can be the impact on your sexual relationships. Treatment can affect your sexual wellbeing by causing physical and emotional changes. Our website has some information on specific sexual side effects here. Many women feel embarrassed or uncomfortable discussing this with their medical team but it is important to get the information you need. Your doctor or nurse may not go into detail on these side effects unless they know you would like to discuss it so tell them if you have any queries or concerns. If you would like to speak to a cancer nurse for further information, advice or support you can call our Supportline on 1800 200 700, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. There is also a gynaecological cancer resource called This is GO which is an Irish based personalised online resource for women impacted by Gynaecological Oncology(GO).

I am supposed to go for Chemotherapy. The drug being used is Folfox. I was amazed at the side effects while the treatment is being given. It has raised a question as to whether I want to go ahead with the treatment. Has anyone used Folfox and how did you feel during the treatment. Thanks Richard Galway

When a loved one is coming to the end of their life, it is a hugely emotional time.  The practicalities of caring for someone at home can be an added stress to a very sad situation. Here is some advice that we give to our callers to help empower them in this incredibly challenging time. Make a plan - roles and responsibilities can be shared. We recommend to put a Rota in place to share care and to give everyone a break.  Tasks such as cooking, cleaning and shopping can be assigned so everyone has a role. Communicate with the medical team – arrange a family meeting, this will ensure everyone has the same information and also gives everyone an opportunity to ask any questions.  It will give clarity on what care can be expected and what the expectations are from the family.  A discussion about care options such as hospice or a palliative bed in a nursing home may be appropriate to talk about. Care support at home is assessed individually, the medical team will advise the level of care available.  Bear in mind that while there is support available, the majority of the care taking rests on family members – this is an important consideration when deciding to care for someone at home at the end of their life. Topics to consider when arranging care include When and Who to contact if there are any issues, including when out of hours. Night nursing care provided by the Irish Cancer Society. Equipment (hospital bed, toileting aids, mobility aids). Care package hours. Our support line can be reached on 1800 200 700 if you would like to speak with a nurse about your unique situation.  We also have a booklet ‘A time to care’ that is available to download or post. If you have any other tips or advice, please comment below

Hi all, delighted to have found this forum. I found a large lump in my left breast a few weeks ago. My doc was very concerned and I had an urgent referral to Vincent’s. I had an appt with the consultant yest who said he thinks it’s a cyst but I still need to have a mammogram & ultrasound in a few weeks. The waiting now is killing me. Am I wrong to be worried as the consultant didn’t seem to be? Or should I just prepare myself in case it is serious. I am so tired with the last year, heavy legs full of fluid. Started HRT but it isn’t helping with the tiredness.

I was diagnosed with ER/PR+ breast cancer in February 2022. I was advised to have two surgeries after which they were unable to reach clear margins. On this basis I was advised that chemotherapy was necessary. Five weeks after chemotherapy my surgeon advised a full mastectomy, completed in October 2022. The final pathology from the tissue following my mastectomy stated there was no disease present in the breast. Has anyone here has a similar experience with the same ER/PR+ T2N1 diagnosis?

Hi, I've been diagnosed for a 3rd time with breast cancer March 2023. In 2017 I was diagnosed with Invasive ductal carcinoma, HER2 positive. Had Lumpectomies in both breast. AC chemo therapy (4 sessions) Taxol for 18 sessions & 8 weeks of radiation. In remission for 4 years. In February 2022 I found a lump behind my left nipple & because of my history I got checked out & they discovered 2 small tumours under my breast. Had 4 sessions of chemo & than a double mastectomy in November 2022. No treatment follow up. In March 2023 I again found a small lump on my left chest wall. After investigation etc it has been discovered that the cancer has come back and has now spread into my skin & the muscle of my left chest wall which is horrendously painful. I'm 8 sessions of chemo in. Long story I know but I'd like to know if anyone else has experienced something like this? I'm told there is a new "Super" drug called Astrazeneca. Has anyone heard of it? Any information or advice would be lovely. Thanks