Awareness and Early Diagnosis

Aug 03

Carol Miller, founder of York Haematology Support group and Acute Myeloid Leukaemia survivor smiling and holding an award from the Lymphoma Association.

Visiting my GP surgery during COVID-19: Carol’s story

By Cancer Alliance Awareness and Early Diagnosis, Personalised Care

York Haematology Support Group founder, Carol Miller was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in 2004. Since her diagnosis, Carol has used her experience with cancer treatment to help others going through the same thing. Here, Carol shares her experience of attending her GP surgery and hospitals for tests during the coronavirus pandemic:

In October, I was admitted into the hospital for aggressive chemotherapy treatment and then discharged on Christmas Eve 2004. Luckily enough, I was in remission. I relapsed in 2006 and had another six-week stay in York Hospital for yet more aggressive chemo, and went into remission again.

At that point, I was offered a mini bone marrow transplant at St James’ Hospital in Leeds but, as I have no siblings, I didn’t have a direct family match, so a donor was sourced from the Anthony Nolan list. The match wasn’t 100%, so I decided not to go ahead with the transplant. Luckily, that was the right decision for me, and I am still here to tell the tale!

My husband and I have been shielding throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, but I have had to attend the GP surgery several times for blood tests. My husband has also attended a hospital appointment since the start of the COVID pandemic.

Carol after receiving the Beacon of Hope Award from the Lymphoma Association.

At the beginning of lockdown, I went into my surgery for the blood test. I was asked to park my car and remain in the vehicle; a nurse would come out to the car to take my bloods. The procedure was quick and I felt very safe attending my appointment as the nurse was wearing full PPE.

Later on, during lockdown, I had to attend a Haematology Clinic for blood tests regarding my leukaemia. As I entered the hospital, my temperature was taken and I was asked to use the hand sanitiser provided. I was also given a mask to wear whilst at the hospital. I was seen very quickly and my bloods were taken as usual. A week after my appointment, I had a follow-up telephone call with the consultant, who informed me all was well. We also scheduled in a further appointment for four months time. Once again, I felt very safe and well looked after.

For my husband’s appointment at York Hospital, I was not allowed to go into the hospital with him. That being said, he was seen very quickly and had no problems at all. The hospital was managing appointments very well, and my husband didn’t come across another patient while he was there and managed to maintain social distancing.

Throughout both the treatments, the staff wore full PPE and I had my temperature taken both times, too.

I would advise other patients to never delay contacting their GP. You will be greeted in a very professional manager, and your appointment will be very efficient and safe. Any symptoms you are experiencing are at least worth a phone call. Your GP is not too busy and would always rather you express your concerns; they are there for you. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Both my husband and I have felt very safe whilst attending our GP surgery and the hospital and we would never risk leaving things. Speaking to your GP could save your life.

My support group

Both times I was admitted for treatment, I joined clinical trials. The drugs I trialled are now being used

A photo of York Haematology Support Group, taken at one of their meetings. There are around 25 attendees and Carol Miller, founder, sits at the centre of the group, at the back.

Taken at one of York Haematology Support Group’s meetings

to help patients with their treatment, which inspired me to try to set up a support group in York. This was initially for Leukaemia patients, but it quickly grew to cover all blood cancer patients. The clinical team during my treatment were very good at dealing with my illness, but they had not been through it themselves. With the York Haematology Support Group, I’ve found a way to use my cancer experience in a way that can positively help others. Experience is a wonderful thing.

We have now been running for nine years and the group has been very successful. We have approximately 25 – 35 members attending our monthly sessions (occurring the first Thursday of the month) and have been lucky to host a variety of very interesting speakers. We are supported by the Yorkshire and Humberside Haematology Network from the University of York, who have been fantastic.

If you’d like to know more about how support groups may be able to help you or someone you know, click here to go to the Humber, Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance’s support group directory.

Jun 15

Safely restoring cervical screening services during COVID-19

By Cancer Alliance Awareness and Early Diagnosis

Monday 15 June to Sunday 21 June is Cervical Screening Awareness Week and although NHS cervical screening services have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, colleagues across the Humber Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance (HCV CA) are working hard to ensure services are restored in a consistent and safe way.

Women and people with a cervix aged 25 to 49 are invited for a cervical screening every 3 years and those aged between 50-64 are invited every 5 years. During the appointment, a small sample of cells is taken from the cervix and cervical screening looks for the human papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause abnormal cells on the cervix. It is not a test for cancer, it’s a test to help prevent cancer.

Following the COVID-19 outbreak, some NHS cervical screening invitations or appointments were rescheduled to a later date due to operational reasons and to minimise risk to patients. However, plans are being developed to ensure NHS Cervical Screening Programme services can operate fully as soon as is safe to do so. Screening invitations are already being sent out, the first going to higher-risk individuals or anyone who has had an appointment delayed due to the pandemic.

Dan Cottingham, Primary Care GP Lead at HCV CA said:

”“As cervical cancer develops slowly in the majority of cases, delaying a routine test for a short time is highly unlikely to affect most individual health outcomes. However, if you are having symptoms such as:

• bleeding between periods, during or after sex, or after the menopause
• changes to vaginal discharge

“It is important to get clinical advice. It does not mean you have cervical cancer. Please call your GP, even if you have had a normal cervical screening test. Don’t wait until you have your next cervical screen.”

For further support and advice contact the Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust Helpline (0808 802 8000) or visit: www.jostrust.org.uk/information/coronavirus

May 05

An image of Dan Cottingham, Cancer and End of Life Lead at NHS Vale of York

70% drop in Vale of York Cancer referrals as doctors urge people to visit their GP

By Cancer Alliance Awareness and Early Diagnosis, Cancer Diagnosis and Innovations

NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and GP Practices from the Humber, Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance are working together to ensure cancer services continue safely, urging people not to delay seeking help if they notice any signs and symptoms of cancer.

Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, across the Vale of York, there has been a 70% reduction in two-week referrals from GP practices to secondary care. A statistic which is extremely worrying to health professionals as they witness fewer patients making appointments to express their health concerns.

Dr Dan Cottingham, Cancer and End of Life Lead at NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group said:

”Cancer hasn’t gone away because of coronavirus. There will still be people in our community experiencing signs and symptoms of cancer such as the sudden appearance of a lump, blood in their urine, or a change to usual bowel habits - and so it is vital these people contact their GP practice so a doctor can investigate and refer to a specialist if necessary.

GP appointments are still available for patients to talk through any concerns over the phone or via an online video consultation, and are working closely with cancer specialist teams at York and Scarborough hospitals to ensure urgent cases continue to be seen promptly.”

Accessing a GP has changed during the pandemic but GP practices are continuing to provide the same safe care they always have done.

People who are referred into York hospital for treatment or who are already on a course of treatment can expect the same quality of care, the way that care now looks however may have changed due to the restrictions of the pandemic. York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust has redesigned services to enable the safe continuation of quality care during the pandemic.

Laura Milburn, Head of Cancer at York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said:

”It is vital that patients experiencing concerning symptoms, especially those that could be cancer, contact their GPs for assessment during the pandemic.

GP and hospital services have had to change significantly to manage the impact of the pandemic but we want to reassure patients who are referred into our hospitals for investigation that we are still providing the same quality of care, just in a different way, ensuring all the appropriate measures in line with government guidance are in place to keep patients safe when accessing services.”

To support with cancer referrals and ongoing cancer services in the Vale of York area, the Humber, Coast and Vale (HCV) Cancer Alliance has accelerated the procurement of home working stations within our region to report from home during Covid-19.

Dr Oliver Byass, Clinical Director for Radiology, Humber, Coast and Vale Cancer Alliance said:

”The collaborative reporting solution sits above our independent picture archiving and communication system (PACS) and work stations within our hospitals and will allow us, as individual radiologists, to report the ‘right test first time’ seamlessly across our organisations and this is going to be transformational as to how we work in the future.

Our work in modern radiology is a lot about diagnostics and trying to get the patient diagnosis both safely and as quickly as possible and we are very fortunate that modern radiology, CT, MRI and ultrasound have amazing diagnostic capabilities.”

For more information on seeking help during Covid-19, read our blog on what to do about possible cancer symptoms.

Mar 01

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

By Cancer Alliance Awareness and Early Diagnosis

March is World Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month. Ovarian cancer, or cancer of the ovaries, is one of the most common types of cancer in women. Here you can find the symptoms of ovarian cancer as well as information and support.

Symptoms

The most common symptoms of ovarian cancer are:

feeling constantly bloated
a swollen tummy
discomfort in your tummy or pelvic area
feeling full quickly when eating, or loss of appetite
needing to pee more often or more urgently than usual

These can be similar to symptoms of other more common conditions, but if you’re worried about any changes in your body, please see your GP.

If you have already seen a GP and your symptoms continue or get worse, go back to them and explain this.

Information and Support

If you would like more information about diagnosis and support, please click on one of the following links.

Macmillan Cancer Support

NHS Website

Target Ovarian Cancer

Cancer Champion Training

Cancer Champions raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer, promote national screening programmes and encourage early detection.

Take part in a free Cancer Champion training session and help up raise awareness this Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month.

For more information and to register your place, click here.

emma delivering cancer champion training stood at the front of a room presenting

Mar 01

Brain Tumour Awareness Month

By Cancer Alliance Awareness and Early Diagnosis

March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month. Almost 11,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year. Here you can find the symptoms of a brain tumour as well as information and support.