World Cancer Day: Time to face up to cancer and its impacts

Ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4, two women describe their experience of being diagnosed and treated for the disease and the impact it's had on their lives 

Edita Hyland has been diagnosed with cancer three times - she has the BRCA gene. Photographed at her home in Ballinlough, County Meath. Photo: Barry Cronin

Ireland has the third highest rate of cancer in the world, and it is estimated that one in three of us will develop it at some point in our lifetime with around 42,000 people diagnosed with the disease each year.

These are frightening statistics, but, reassuringly, more than 215,000 people are living with and beyond cancer today in Ireland.

Avril Deegan survived cancer and having been diagnosed with leukaemia as a child, is well aware of the impact the disease can have on your life.

“In 2004, I was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, and because I was only five, I don’t remember the exact symptoms, but I’ve been told they included extreme tiredness, unexplained bruising, pale skin and a bluish discolouration of my lips and eyes,” she says.

“I don’t have many memories of my time in the hospital or the treatment — but I remember the positive side of things, such as going to Barretstown with my family. My mind must have blocked out the harder stuff, including chemotherapy, frequent blood tests and being very sick. 

"Looking through old pictures and video clips sparks memories, and my parents were great for keeping things like leaflets, get-well cards, bandanas and so on, all of which were part of daily life at that time.”

Avril Deegan: "Having cancer will always be part of my life story, but it does not define me"

Now 25, the Laois woman has fully recovered from her ordeal but is putting her experience to good use as a researcher with the Irish Research Council and Breakthrough Cancer Research at Dublin City University (DCU). Her PhD is in childhood leukaemia survivorship.

She feels “very fortunate” to be able to contribute to childhood cancer research, adding the psychological impact is “just as important as every other aspect of cancer treatment despite sometimes being overlooked”.

Deegan has also excelled as a sportswoman, having represented Ireland internationally in athletics and being a DCU sports scholarship athlete.

“Having cancer will always be part of my life story, but it does not define me,” she says. “I made a full recovery and live a very healthy life now.”

Her advice to a parent whose child has been diagnosed with cancer or to someone who is going through treatment is to “trust your medical team and avail of any support available — as this is so important for the whole family”.

Edita Hyland has been diagnosed with cancer three times. Photo: Barry Cronin

Strength and positivity

Edita Hyland is also well aware of the need for support during a cancer journey, as she was diagnosed with the disease three times. She has undergone surgery twice and has been diagnosed with the BRCA1 gene, putting her at a greater risk of developing cancer.

It all started early one morning in December 2014 when she felt acute pain and a lump in her left breast. She thought it might be a cyst, so she was encouraged by her husband, Phil, to make an appointment with her GP, who was sufficiently concerned to refer her for further tests at the Mater Hospital in Dublin.

“I had a mammogram two weeks later and thought the cyst had gone, but afterwards, I was sent for a follow-up ultrasound,” she says. “I began to think that something was going on, and it turned out that it wasn’t the left breast which was an issue but the right one because it looked strange with lots of white dots. So they did an ultrasound on it and a biopsy.”

In a follow-up meeting, her consultant asked if she wanted to be told exactly what was wrong. “I said yes, and he told me that it was probably cancer, which was curable, but I had to have a mastectomy.

“I told him to do whatever was necessary. So, when the results came back before Christmas and confirmed it was cancer, I was booked in for a mastectomy and reconstruction in April 2015.”

Following the surgery and subsequent recovery, the 52-year-old, who was otherwise in good health, got on with her life, and everything seemed fine. 

But in 2018, while having a routine mammogram, she was once again referred for an ultrasound as the scan had detected something unusual around the reconstructed breast. Unfortunately, cancer was detected again, requiring a course of radiotherapy.

“This was shocking, but I didn’t cry once or ask why it happened to me because I know that it happens to women of all ages, even young mothers — in fact, I felt a bit guilty that I had survived when others often didn’t and left young children behind,” she says.

Edita Hyland: "I didn’t cry once or ask why it happened to me because I know that it happens to women of all ages, even young mothers" Photo: Barry Cronin

After radiotherapy, she was put on Tamoxifen for five years and underwent genetic testing for the BRCA1 gene. The results were positive. “It showed I was 90% more likely to get breast cancer than other people, even though I had never known of anyone in my family who had it.”

She had her ovaries and fallopian tubes removed, and testing was also organised for other family members. “It showed that my daughter, a brother, and niece all carry the gene. This was also a shock but at least we knew about it.”

Following consultations with her doctors, it was decided she would undergo surgery to have her other breast removed as a precaution. “But before that happened, I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the third time.”

Hyland, who lives in Meath, was floored by this new development, and after undergoing the second mastectomy, it was discovered there was “some change” in her bones, which would require chemotherapy.

“This was the first time I cried as I thought that was [the end] for me,” she says. 

“The chemotherapy has been very hard, but I am strong and positive and have good support from my husband, our children (they have five children between them) and my friends. I even took on the 3,000 squats challenge for the Mater Foundation — I must be a glutton for punishment — as I really wanted to do something to thank them because they are angels on earth.”

Her next goal, she says, is to “get back into the gym”.

“At the moment, I am cancer-free and will be closely monitored in the coming months. My advice to anyone else going through something like this is that it is OK to talk about it and let your emotions go. If you need to cry, cry — and if you need to scream, just scream. Don’t think that your life is over.”

Evelyn O’Rourke, Presenter, Cancer survivor and Face Up To Cancer Ambassador, Liz Yeates, CEO, The Marie Keating Foundation, Aisling Hurley, CEO, Breast Cancer Ireland, Orla Dolan, CEO, Breakthrough Cancer Research, Avril Deegan, Childhood Cancer survivor and Cancer Researcher, Gerard Carthy, Director, Face Up To Cancer, Miriam O’Callaghan, Presenter and Face Up To Cancer Ambassador and Bobby Kerr, Presenter, Cancer survivor and Face Up To Cancer Ambassador at the launch of Face Up To Cancer.

Treatment advances

Ongoing research is leading to significant improvements in cancer treatment, but it is time-consuming and requires enormous investment.

Director of Cancer Research at University College Cork and a medical oncologist in the CUH/UCC Cancer Centre Prof Roisin Connolly says: “On World Cancer Day, it is important to acknowledge the many advances achieved in the field of cancer prevention, early detection, treatment and survivorship care over the last few decades. Our community are living longer and better lives in 2024. Support of cancer research and cancer clinical trials in the coming decades remains a critical priority to eliminate cancer in Ireland and globally.”

• Three of Ireland’s leading cancer charities — Breast Cancer Ireland, Breakthrough Cancer Research, and the Marie Keating Foundation — have joined forces for the first time ahead of World Cancer Day to launch an innovative new campaign entitled “Face Up To Cancer”, which will raise significant funds for cancer research and support services across the island of Ireland, while also humanising what can be a hugely isolating experience for those diagnosed.
• Participation is simple: go to faceuptocancer.ie, upload your selfie, and choose your donation amount. Next, share your selfie across your social channels to show your support using the hashtags #FaceUpToCancer and #DonateASelfieSaveLives
• For more information on cancer see mariekeating.ie