Your stories

"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.

“We should be shouting from the rooftops how important it is to protect your skin and how you can do it”. Click the link to read more.

“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.

"As a single mother to six children, I know I have used sun cream sparingly in the past because you’re trying to stretch out how long a bottle lasts. Click the link to read more.

"It was a big commitment of course, but so worth it. I was still able to go to school, work and play football. I really tried to live life relatively normally. When I was 23, my team told me I was in complete remission." Read more Ryan's story.

58-year-old Joe Collins began experiencing extremely bad back pain in 2017 “I had issues with my back before, but this time the pain was excruciating. Click the link to read more.

Vanessa Clarke shares her story of a diagnosis of stage 3 nodular melanoma aged 26. Click the link to read more.

Laura Hughes shares her experience of treatment delays after being diagnosed with breast cancer. Click the link to learn more.

"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.

"If sharing my journey can help even one person feel less alone, if it can give someone else the courage to keep going, then it’s all worth it." Click the link to learn more about Fiona's breast cancer story.

“We need to get into the habit of checking our bodies regularly and if something doesn’t feel right, don’t delay, go and get checked out.” Click the link to learn more about Ciara's breast cancer story.

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

Olivia recalls learning about her breast cancer diagnosis: “I was absolutely heartbroken. When going for those tests, you know it is a possibility, but you don’t think it is going to happen to you.” Read her full story by clicking the link.

In July 2021, thirty-six-year-old Áine Martin woke in the early morning at 5am and found her hand drawn to a lump on her right breast. Read her full story by clicking the link.

In 2016, 41-year-old Natalie Cambridge from Cork discovered a lump in her breast “Two years previously, my husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer." Read more of her story by clicking the link.

In August 2023, Fionnuala Rabbitt, aged 52, went for her BreastCheck appointment in Letterkenny, Co. Donegal. Read her story by clicking the link.

In July 2023, Mariana, who moved to Dublin eight years ago from Mexico, noticed a lump on her breast when she got out of the shower. Read Mariana's story by clicking the link.

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.

Portlaoise-based Kriszti Nemeth was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023. Click the link to read her story.

'It was playing on my mind. It was the beginning of July and after checking my breasts purely by chance after reading this article, I found a lump.” Click the link to read more.

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.

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

38-year-old Kim Clack-Whelan from Ballybrack Dublin remembers the moment she knew something was wrong in her body, click the link to read more about Kim's story.

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.

24-year-old Lauren Barrett from Tralee describes her experience with cancer as ‘a little complicated’. Click the link to read more.

“Early detection is key. If something is abnormal for you, just go to the GP and get it checked out, even if it’s scary." Read Lisa's breast cancer story via the link.

"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.

I was diagnosed with invasive ductal carcinoma, which is oestrogen-receptive and HER2+. Thankfully, it hasn’t spread to my lymph nodes.” Read more of Edel's story by clicking the link.

When the day came, my husband came with me for my results. I was diagnosed with HER+ breast cancer. It was stage one, so thankfully it was caught early. Read Evelyn's full story via the link.

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.

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.

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.

With lobular breast cancer in both breasts, Mags had a decision to make about her treatment. “Throughout my cancer experience, I felt very much in control of what we did next." Read Mags' full story here.

In March 2020, following an examination, mammogram, ultrasound and biopsy, Catherine received the devastating news that she had triple negative breast cancer. Read her full story here.

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.

“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.

“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.

“I had been feeling tired for a while but otherwise nothing else too unusual. My mum had breast cancer so I did check myself regularly enough, usually in the shower.” click the link to read Sharon's story.

“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.

“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.

Phelim Warren had celebrated his 57th birthday six days before he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in September 2023. Read his full story by clicking the link.

In late January of this year, Hugh O’Rourke was diagnosed with prostate cancer. As the 81-year-old from Carlow explains, there were earlier indications of his eventual diagnosis. Read his full story by clicking the link.

After his 40th birthday, in early July 2022, Adam Thompson decided to go and get a health check-up. “I just wanted a basic check-up, make sure everything was in order." Click the link to read more.

‘With a newborn to deal with, my mind was spinning.’ Read Simon's prostate cancer story via the link.

“I was very healthy, I ran a lot, I walked the dogs every day, and at no point did I ever feel unwell or like I had cancer.” Click the link to read Kay's story.

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.

“I am an example of somebody who had their lung cancer detected early and lived to tell the tale.” Click the link to learn more about Damien's lung cancer story.

"I was only 47 at the time and felt I wouldn’t be affected by lung cancer as I was a non-smoker. They needed to take a biopsy and remove the tumour, they also wanted to check my lymph nodes to see if the cancer had spread." Read Samatha's full story by clicking the link.

"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.

“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.

“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.

"I had my five-year clear scan just this year and my consultant in Tallaght said to me, ‘in the nicest possible way, hopefully I never see you again’." Click the link to learn more about Tom's bowel cancer story.

“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 could have been a lot worse for me and I’m so grateful to be able to tell my story to raise awareness of bowel cancer” Click the link to read more about Paul's story.

"On 8 November 2022, we went to the hospital and by 6 pm, we found out he had cancer." Read more of Cadoc's story by clicking the link.

“Don’t look in the rearview mirror – the only way is forward. You have to push through it, and things will get better." Click the link to read more.

“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.

When I received my diagnosis, I actually felt I was able to accept it relatively quickly. My work focused on medicines research & development," Read more about Siobhan's metastatic cancer story.

“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.

“The Irish Cancer Society Transport Service was there for me when I didn’t even know what it was.” Click the link to learn more about Patrick's leukaemia story.

At the end of 2022, 54-year-old Mum-of-four and grandmother-of- five, Suzanne Byrne from Greystones was beginning to go through the menopause when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Read her story by clicking the link.

Mary Maybury O'Connor, registered nurse and midwife, was diagnosed with tonsillar cancer in October 2016. Click the link to read more about Mary's story.

After a biopsy, Letitia received her formal diagnosis of Stage 2 Primary Mediastinal Large B Cell Lymphoma. “I was straight in for chemotherapy almost immediately." Read her full 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.

“In hindsight, I had a lot of the classic symptoms that I now know, but at the time, wasn’t looking out for” click the link to read more about Bridget's story.

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.

62-year old Jacinta Ahern Boyle from County Cavan was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma in 1998. Read her full story via the link.

"My doctor noticed I had a goitre or swelling on my thyroid. I had been experiencing symptoms of tiredness and fatigue, but we didn’t know what the cause was." Read Mairead's story by clicking the link.

Joseph’s symptoms began as a mild pain in his back, which progressively got worse, with pain moving to his chest. “When they told me they had discovered a type of cancer, I couldn’t believe it. Read his full story via 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.

"They did a lot of investigations into my cough, and I was told that I needed a biopsy" click the link to read more.

Irish Cancer Society Awareness nurse Michelle Lonergan travels across the country highlighting the signs and symptoms of cancer. “I always found myself coming back to cancer nursing. I find it really fulfilling and rewarding.”

“Cancer does not just affect health. It affects work, family life, mental health, and finances all at once. Most people think of doctors and treatment but there is a whole life around the diagnosis that gets shaken up, and that is where we come in as Welfare Officers.”

"At the end of 2022, I found a spot on my left breast and was sent for a triple assessment, which happened in February." Read the Walsh Family's story by clicking the link.

"I won’t stop using my voice to spread the message that lung cancer and clinical trials is an area of priority for investment, focus and innovation." Hear from Prof. Naidoo on her ground-breaking research

“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.

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.

"As well as research funding, the Irish Cancer Society have supported me by providing access to experts in patient and public involvement and scientific communication, as well as opportunities to network with other researchers" Click the link to read more.

“There are some challenges to our work, such as hearing about unequal access to our health services, and the slow response of Government to reform health policy in areas such as tobacco, alcohol and sunbed use which could save lives."