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I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer last September and had a mastectomy, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy and I am now on Hormone Therapy. All along I was adamant that I wanted Breast Reconstruction but after my appointment with the Plastic Surgeon last week I am now not so sure. I am exhausted after nearly a year of treatment and just don't know how I could face, voluntarily, into another surgery. I believe the procedure is around 5 - 7 hours long and there is quite a long recovery time. I am also worried about the side effects. I am on Tamoxifen and would be worried about the risk of blood clots etc. I would love to hear from anyone else in the same position or anyone that has had Breast Reconstruction and if you honestly felt it was worth it? Thank you.

Hi. I have recently had a double mastectomy with immediate implant reconstruction. I do not now have any nipples. Is there anyone who can offer advice or recommendations on a tattoo artist in Ireland regarding getting areola restoration done. I'm aware I have to wait 12 months following surgery. Thank You.

Hi there, I got diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer on 28 Oct and have started treatment 3 Dec - for 35 treatments including 1 day each week of chemotherapy. In 2018 I had a virus which led me to have a dull hearing in my left ear and a runny nose. 2 years later I have a 43mm tumour in the nose cavity and has travelled to lymph nodes in neck. Its a rare cancer and I hope I can get shut of it this way. does anyone have anything like this?

HPV (human papilloma virus) is a very common virus that most people will have at some point in their lives.  There is over 100 strains of this virus and some strains increase your cancer risk. HPV causes nearly 5%of cancers worldwide. The estimated annual number of cancers caused by HPV in Ireland is 420.   Further information about the virus can be found on our website. The HPV schools vaccine programme will shortly commence for  2022/2023 and will be offered free to both boys and girls in their first year of secondary school.  The HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9) protects against the HPV virus, which can cause cancer and genital warts in both women and men. The HSE is finalising a plan for a catch up programme for eligible boys and girls who missed their vaccines due to Covid-19 and a catch up programme for older females. On the support line, we often get questions from the public about the vaccine and the programme, some frequently asked questions are: Is the Vaccine safe? The HPV vaccine is safe. The safety of the HPV vaccine has been studied for over 15 years. Over 1 million people have been studied during clinical trials since the vaccine was licensed in 2006.   Information about vaccine safety can be found here .  There is no scientific evidence in Ireland or in any other country that the HPV vaccine causes any long-term medical condition. There are stories on social media claiming that the HPV vaccine causes an increase in cases of: postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) – an increase in heart rate that can make you feel faint and dizzy complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) – a form of chronic pain that usually affects an arm or a leg The European Medicines Agency (EMA) researched these claims in 2015. They found no evidence that the HPV vaccine leads to an increase in these conditions, further information can be found here. Vaccines are strictly monitored and reviewed regularly by international bodies including the: World Health Organization European Medicines Agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA Are there any side effects from the vaccine? Most people have no problems after the vaccine. The HPV vaccine has many of the same, mild side effects as other vaccines.  Soreness, swelling and redness in their arm where the injection was given. This is nothing to worry about as this usually passes after a day or two. Headache, or feel sick in their tummy or have a slight temperature. If this happens, paracetamol or ibuprofen will help. Occasionally, some people may feel unwell and faint after getting their injection. To prevent this, when someone gets the vaccine they are asked to sit down and rest for 15 minutes after the vaccination. All international bodies have continually reported that the vaccines used in Ireland have no long-term side effects. My child/I decided not to proceed with the HPV schools programme in their first year of secondary school can they/I opt in now? Anyone not in 1st year of secondary school or age equivalent in special schools or home schooled who wish to get the HPV vaccine, must go to their GP, some pharmacies or  their sexual health clinic and pay for the vaccine and its administration privately.  The vaccine costs approximately 200 euro per dose. If you have private health insurance we recommend to check if it is covered on your policy. If you miss a dose due to absence, contact your local school vaccination team  to arrange an appointment. Some useful websites that are a good resource for information are listed below.  Please contact our support line on 1800 200 700 or by emailing supportline@irishcancer.ie if you would like any information or advice from a cancer nurse. https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/schoolprog/hpv/hpv-human-papillomavirus/ https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/schoolprog/hpv/hpv-vaccination-programme/ https://www.hse.ie/eng/health/immunisation/pubinfo/schoolprog/hpv/about/  

I am a metastatic breast cancer patient, after 12 years remission from ER+, PR+, HER2+ my cancer came back as ER-, PR-, HER2+. It is a mass in my chest, in the lymph nodes of my right armpit and a tumour on my pancreas. However both my breasts are clear. I've been receiving Paclitaxel, Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab on the first week of each cycle, Paclitaxel on the second week and then a third week off. My recent CT showed things have shrunk a lot and after one more cycle of chemotherapy I'll start maintenance with just Pertuzumab and Trastuzumab every 3 weeks. I'm confused because when I first had breast cancer I was treated until it was gone, then put on Arimidex tablet maintenance. This time around I'm starting maintenance even though there is still some cancer left. My oncologist said it will never go away fully and this is what we do, but I just wanted to check if this is common? It feels a bit horrible still having it in me... All the best, Bernadette

I am day 90 post cell transplant. I have been very sore all over my body for about 2 months now. Doctors can't tell me why or if it'll get better over time. All my bloods are mostly back to normal so it's not related. Just wondering if anyone else is feeling the same post transplant? I feel that my quality of life is quite poor at the moment and is getting me down! I am not too bad when I'm up doing things but muscles and joints get very sore & stiff when sitting/laying! Thanks!

Hi there, My mum had an appointment the week before last as she suffers with cysts a lot. On the day she was told yep her cysts were back and they were drained and not else was done or showed up on the mammogram or scans. She said her doctor did mention to a trainee doctor. this patient has been here before, knows the routine and something about coming back in 6 weeks. My mum then got a letter in the post 3 days later asking for her to come back in 6 weeks for another mammogram and ultrasound. Is this normal? Someone had mentioned that this was normal procedure if they didn’t get a chance to chat to you on the day and there is nothing to worry about. Thanks

Hi my father has stomach cancer and we are not getting any support where do we go for help local doctor not helping and just keep referring us to A&E he is wasting away in front of us and we don’t know what to do he is in the VHI

Hi I’m just wondering how long you be waiting to meet with your oncologist? I had my surgery (lumpectomy) on 28th July and my follow up appointment on the 12th August and was told I’d be meeting with my oncologist to discuss starting chemotherapy but i haven’t received any appointments yet. I’m just eager to get started.

Hi, I'm 95% vegan and am trying to increase my protein. I started putting tofu into soup. I take 1mg of Amidex tablet every day. Is it ok to eat tofu when taking this tablet? Is there any food I should avoid? Many thanks, Elaine