It was during the CT that they happened, by accident basically, to spot something on my lower lung. Click the link to learn more about Janice's lung cancer story.

Meet Grainne, an Irish Cancer Society-funded researcher who is working on a project on how to best support people affected by head and neck cancer to engage in exercise after treatment. Click the link to read more.

In September 2018, following ongoing swelling in her glands, Ciara was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

In 2014, 39-year-old Jacqui Tangney from Killarney was taking a shower and decided to do a breast exam. To learn more, read her story by clicking the link.

Dublin native & now Sligo local Peter Keating admits he did not get symptoms checked by his GP when they first appeared, read more about his story here.

“Bowel cancer is not just an older person’s diagnosis anymore, it also affects younger people, so be aware of any symptoms and go to your doctor. You know your own body, and you know when something’s wrong.” Click the link to read more.

“I really want to shine a light on the fact that younger people under 50 can and are getting bowel cancer.” Click the link to read more.

In the summer of 2022, then 36-year-old Tara Doonan from Co. Cavan was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Carcinoma, a type of breast cancer. Read her full story by clicking here.

It was during a spot of virtual Zumba in her living room that Martina Balfe from Clonee in Dublin began noticing a pain in her chest. She was later diagnosed with breast cancer. Read her full story here.

Studying sarcoma is not just a passion, but also a challenge for Irish Cancer Society funded researcher Dr Gerard Brien. Click the link to read his story.

Meet Daniel, an Irish Cancer Society-funded researcher who is working on a project focused on improving treatment pathways for patients with sinonasal cancers. Click the link to read more.

Meet Eimear, an Irish Cancer Society-funded researcher who is working on a project to potentially develop a new treatment path for children with a type of aggressive brain cancer called glioblastoma. Click the link to read more.

“I’m someone who always got colour without getting sunburn and I still got skin cancer.”

"You don’t forget about your cancer. I go to bed at night and wake up in the morning knowing I have cancer, but I try to put it aside and still have the craic.” Click the link to learn more about Sandra's breast cancer story.

“I will never forget the first phone call from the Irish Cancer Society Peer Support volunteer. She gave me hope that life really can go on." Click the link to read more.

“I felt like the rug was pulled out from under me. I went into a blind panic. I kept saying to my husband, ‘tell him to stop telling me I have cancer’.

“When I was told it was cancer, it felt like my whole world just collapsed. I wanted to use a lot of bad language, but then my thoughts were just focused on what I needed to do next.” Click the link to read more.

“My nana had breast cancer 20 years ago, we lost mam to lung cancer in 2020, and now I find myself in my mid-20s with bowel cancer.”

Graeme Sullivan was awarded a three-year Translational Research Fellowship by the Irish Cancer Society.

30th March 2026: April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and bowel cancer survivor, Ciaran Cunningham joins the Irish Cancer Society to call on the public to pay attention to the possible signs and symptoms of bowel cancer.

In July 2020, thirty-one year old Bronwyn Carpenter began experiencing persistent severe headaches that would wake her during the night.

"I never thought it could’ve been cancer, I just assumed it was mastitis because I’d been breastfeeding." Click the link to read Sarah's story.

“I knew straight away it was something that needed to be looked at." Aged 37, mother of two Emma Aspell was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. Click the link to learn more.

“Immunotherapy has changed the face of lung cancer treatment, and is now being given for earlier stage lung cancers, with long term benefit in some cases. So the dream is being realised."

“It was through a routine mammogram with BreastCheck and I had no symptoms at all; it was a complete surprise” Click the link to read more.

In 2021, Liz noticed some small red spots that had appeared on her forehead. She was referred to a dermatologist who removed the spots, and it was discovered that the spots were basal cell and squamous cell skin cancer. Read more about Liz's story by clicking the link.

Three years ago, Laura Dennehy, now 31, was starting a course in midwifery, caring for her son and planning a wedding with her partner. Then she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Click the link to read more.

Aged just 31, Thamires Lima, a Brazilian student living in Dublin, noticed a change in the appearance of her breast skin. Click the link to learn more

Dr Grainne Sheill is an Irish Cancer Society funded researcher with the Discipline of Physiotherapy, Trinity College Dublin and a Senior Physiotherapist at St James’s Hospital.

In March 2020, 33-year-old Anu Varghese's dreams of a new life were put on hold as she received a breast cancer diagnosis just months after moving to Ireland. Click here to read her full story.

“Before I went on foreign holidays, I would’ve done a few sunbeds but now I’m paying the price for it, and it certainly wasn’t worth it.” Read more about Gill story by clicking the link.

Barbara Blue from Costello, Co. Galway discovered a lump on her breast in June 2022.

"The cancer had spread to my lymph nodes, but I would need to have a CT scan to see if it had also spread to my other organs." Read Lynn's story via the link.

Geraldine Dunphy from Lucan in Dublin was diagnosed with HER2 breast cancer in September 2018, when she discovered a lump one day after her 37th birthday. Read more by clicking here.

First diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, 46-year-old mother of five Lisa McCaffrey has had cancer in her life for over 18 years. Click the link to learn more.

In 2021, Pauline Russell from Lusk, Co Dublin went for a routine eye exam after having difficulties when looking at her work computer. Click the link to read more about Pauline's story.

"If I’d waited another five or six weeks to go to my GP, the cancer would’ve progressed and my prognosis and treatment would’ve been a lot different.” Click the link to learn more.

After finishing her course of radiotherapy for early stage breast cancer in October 2020, Carmel wanted to do something to help other patients in future as well as bridge the post-treatment gap between home and hospital.

In 2017, Margaret was told her breast cancer had spread to her sternum and spine. Her metastatic diagnosis followed her previous breast cancer experience in 2004. Read her full story here.

In 2017, then aged 57, Paul Vickers, a truck driver and father of six, was experiencing stomach problems and he later began to notice blood in his poo.

In March 2020, just as Covid was happening, I received my diagnosis for Squamous Cell Carcinoma—a mouth cancer—in my jaw. To learn more of Rita's story, click the link.

Meet Luke, an Irish Cancer Society funded researcher who is due to begin work on a project which will look at more effective treatments for a form of paediatric blood cancer. Click the link to read his story.

“I had to interrupt and say, ‘sorry when you say tumour, do you mean cancer?’" Read more of Lana's cancer story by clicking the link.

Deirdre O'Raw was diagnosed with ovarian cancer."I had symptoms in January or February 2020, but it wasn’t until July when I received my diagnosis." To read more, click the link.

Elaine O’Callaghan, from Cork, had never heard of eye cancer or ocular melanoma before she went in for a routine eye examination in 2018. Click the link to read more about Elaine's story.

"With me, when I heard stage 4, I thought, ‘that's it, I'm gone’. But it's not the case at all. Talk to your caregiver, and they'll explain properly. They can reassure you that there is life after stage 4.” Click the link to learn more about Ann Marie's bowel cancer story.

In September 2020, Chris Monaghan was told he had Hodgkin lymphoma.

"It absolutely never occurred to me that my symptoms could have been brain cancer." Séamus Conaty was diagnosed with brain cancer after experiencing persistent headaches. Read Seamus' story by clicking the link.

47-year-old Maria Murphy was playing with her boisterous 4-year-old son in June 2021 when she noticed something unusual about her breast. Click the link to learn more.

Breast cancer survivor Orla Brennan says patient education key in overcoming ‘distressing’ complication of cancer treatment Pilot project is the only such hospital service outside of Dublin.

“The supports they offer would have been really beneficial to me at the beginning of my cancer journey, but I’m still on that journey and I take great comfort knowing that these supports are going to be in place.” Click the link to learn more about Paul's oesophageal cancer story.

“Everything moved so quickly. The tests and the scans and then you’re left waiting for the results. A couple of days later, I got the call to say that I had cancer.” Click the link to read more.

When Anne Bodley first noticed a discomfort in her chest, she never imagined it would lead to a breast cancer diagnosis. Click the link to learn more.

At the Irish Cancer Society Cookie, we're committed to transparency, and so we have created a privacy policy to ensure we're up to date with the European GDPR regulations. Click the link to learn more.

“When we check ourselves, we’re not just checking for a lump” Click the link to learn more about Amy's breast cancer story.

In May 2020, diplomat Sarah McGrath was recovering from surgery for a badly broken ankle. Normally resident in Dublin 8, she was recuperating at home in Clarecastle, Co Clare when she found a lump in her breast.

“My age went against me. Now, here I am in my early 40s with incurable bowel cancer. That should never happen to anybody.” Click the link to learn more about Kerrie's bowel cancer story.

Deirdre Doherty, 57, from Leitrim was diagnosed with a type of blood cancer called Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) in early 2019, after a routine blood test showed her white blood cell count was high. Click the link to read Deirdre's story.

Wednesday, 4th March, 2026: The Irish Cancer Society today celebrates 40 years of the Night Nursing service and the provision of almost 200,000 nights of nursing to people across Ireland, allowing cancer patients to spend their last days surrounded by their families at home.

“When we were engaging with patients with younger children, they would say to us ‘it’s the hair loss that makes my children know I’m sick’. That really struck a chord with us.”

17th August 2026: Skin cancer survivor Liz Farrell is sharing her story to highlight the importance of getting any concerning skin changes checked by your GP. 

Irish author & breast cancer survivor Patricia Scanlan urges the public to back the Irish Cancer Society’s Big Pink Breakfast 2025

Arianna Toolan says she is “grateful every day” that she managed to notice a troubling sign of skin cancer before a small problem had the chance to grow bigger.

15th September 2026: The first all-island residential training programme for cancer patient advocates took place in the UCD Conway Institute in University College Dublin (UCD) last month. The VOICE-Ireland (Vision On Information, Confidence and Engagement) programme, of which the Irish Cancer Society is a funder, bridges the gap between biomedical research, clinical research, and patient advocacy across Ireland and Northern Ireland.

1st May 2026: An Offaly woman is sharing her experience of being diagnosed with skin cancer to highlight the importance of getting any concerning skin changes checked out by your GP. Read on via the link below.

In 2017, Aoife Brady’s dad, John, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. The family found the Irish Cancer Society's Volunteer Driver service to be important resource as John went through treatment. Read Aoife's full story by clicking here.

Meet Kate, an Irish Cancer Society-funded researcher who is working on a project looking at understanding how cancer cells know to spread from the prostate to the bone, as that’s where advanced prostate cancer usually spreads to. Click the link to read more.

In her role as a Cancer Nurse on the Irish Cancer Society’s Support Line, every day Edel Brangan speaks to people affected by cancer. Click the link to read more about Edel's work.

“I think it is so important to question anything unusual you are feeling with your own body and not always just try to explain symptoms away.”

People involved in ground-breaking research projects around the country were honoured at the Irish Cancer Society Research Awards on Friday, February 23rd at Regent House, Trinity College Dublin.

Having survived cancer on six occasions Donegal man and former hospital and tourism manager Paul McLoone says catching his recent bowel cancer early has enabled him to enjoy time with his new granddaughter

After noticing a lump in her breast, Debbie Murphy, a 48-year-old palliative care nurse manager of 24 years, monitored it for a two-week period to see if it went away. Click the link to read more.

In September 2020, 36-year-old, Donna-Marie Cullen from Lucan in Dublin was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form of cancer called Ewing Sarcoma. Read more on Donna's story.

“I will not stop providing support to people affected by cancer” Click the link to read more about Linda's work at our Daffodil Centres.

“The more people who take part in clinical trials, the more new and innovative treatments we can eventually make available to more patients.” Read more about Roden's ski cancer story.

From July 2021, Deirdre Fleming, then just 41 years old, noticed she was going to the toilet more often. “I went to my GP, and they suspected irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Between November that year and the following January/February, the weight fell off me and I was really concerned. I changed GP and my new doctor pushed me forward for an urgent colonoscopy.”

“It concerned me so on the Monday morning, I went straight to the GP. I was referred on for a triple assessment. I could tell from the reactions of everyone at appointment, that it wasn’t good news. Click the link to read more.

Ali McCormack from Co Kildare remembers very well when she first noticed the symptoms before she was diagnosed with bowel cancer.

‘My story is positive because of my reaction’

In September 2020, Maggie Donnelly Lough’s husband, Pat, was diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Read her story to learn more.

“I just want people to hear my story and become more aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer and to not be afraid to talk about your poo.” Click the link to read more about Deirdre's story.

"It doesn’t matter where you are or what you’re doing, you need to check your body, because the issue is not going to wait"

Tracey Judge became concerned after she had torn her pectoral muscle, and noticed her nipple was bleeding. Click the link to learn more.

"I wouldn’t have been the type to go to the doctor, I only went because the mole started seeping and bleeding.” Read more about Stephen Gray's skin cancer story by clicking the link.

Susan Lanigan lives in Cobh with her family. A few weeks before Christmas 2022, she discovered a lump on her breast, and in January 2023 she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“If just one person reads my story and checks they are signed up for BowelScreen or does their test, that will be worth me sharing my experience.” Click the link to learn more about Tom's bowel cancer story.

Alythea Synnott decided to undergo a private health check after losing her aunty to breast cancer. Click the link to learn more.

“I felt a jolt of fear go through my body. I showed my husband and sister-in-law and they pushed me to go to my GP." Read Sandra's story by clicking the link.

Lee was diagnosed with a rare, slow-growing skin cancer called dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) after living with the tumour for 7 years. Read more about Lee's story by clicking the link.

"My only regret is that I didn’t reach out to the supports sooner. I would also really encourage people to become more aware of the signs and symptoms of head and neck cancer ” Click the link to read more.

John McMahon, 66, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2018 after a tumour was discovered when he was receiving treatment for a blood clot.