Lymphoma: ‘I had time to freeze my eggs earlier than beginning chemo’

A west Belfast girl says she was fortunate to have been given time to freeze her eggs earlier than beginning chemotherapy in her combat towards most cancers.

Maria Austin, 25, who’s a classroom assistant, was identified with Hodgkin lymphoma in January.

“The egg freezing was essential and so vital as a result of I’m nonetheless younger, I wish to have a household when I’m older,” she mentioned.

Maria mentioned she is telling her story to spotlight the significance of early most cancers prognosis and to assist different younger folks deal with signs shedescribes as “life altering”.

It comes as the newest Division of Well being (DoH) statistics present fewer than a 3rd – 29.8% – of sufferers started their most cancers therapy throughout the advisable 62 days – effectively under the 95% goal.

The newest figures purpose to supply an image of ready instances for sufferers accessing most cancers companies between the primary three months of 2023.

They present a dramatic drop within the variety of folks beginning therapy for breast most cancers throughout the advisable goal.

Between January and March, solely 34.1% of sufferers requiring breast most cancers therapy have been seen inside 14 days of their GP pressing referral.

For a similar interval in 2023 the determine was 84.2%.

The ministerial goal states that every one pressing breast most cancers referrals needs to be seen inside 14 days.

The newest most cancers ready instances reveal that not one of the targets set by the well being minister have been met.

In keeping with DoH, the figures needs to be handled with warning as Embody – the brand new digital affected person file system – continues to be in improvement on the South Japanese Well being Belief which has affected the info.

Sarah Christie, of Macmillan Most cancers Assist mentioned she believed the system was on “the verge of collapsing.”

“We now have had the options by way of many reviews in relation to reform from the early 2000s.

“The options are there, however nothing has been achieved with them,” she added

For Maria, early diagonsis was essential to permit her to freeze her eggs.

“Chemo and most cancers impacts fertility and may put you into early menopause,” she instructed BBC Information NI.

“To have that wee window of two weeks to undergo fertility therapy, it was arduous, it was three needles a day, however I’m lucky I had the chance.”

Maria, who underwent 4 rounds of chemotherapy, mentioned at the beginning she saved asking “why me?”.

She mentioned the fixed illness and shedding her hair was arduous.

“In the future my hair simply saved falling out – inside 4 weeks I had no hair left,” she mentioned.

“That was a problem, and I’m now utilizing wigs and headscarves. I’ve tried to seek out magnificence elsewhere, so I’m engaged on my make-up.”

Maria’s chemotherapy has labored. A latest PET scan revealed the tumour had shrunk.

Now she can have radiotherapy therapy as a substitute.

The significance of early prognosis is echoed by Sam Clarke, who was identified with lymphoma in 2015 and has undergone a stem cell transplant.

The 51-year-old, who lives in Bangor, County Down, mentioned being “caught and signposted” at an early stage was critically vital, however one thing that sadly he had not at all times seen with household and associates.

“Entry is totally different for everybody,” Sam mentioned.

“It is dependent upon your age, the place you’re from, however that every one must be addressed to present everybody a fast and even platform to be seen as shortly as attainable.

“It is vitally hit or miss as a result of the individual you first must see is the GP and doubtlessly you may not see one for weeks or possibly for a month or two.

“There’s additionally the referral and getting by way of the system as a result of everyone seems to be already working so arduous coping with different most cancers sufferers.”

Maria and Sam are each constructive, humble, and intensely grateful.

Whereas filming their tales there have been tears and laughter.

Maria mentioned she had turned her prognosis into one thing constructive and that a number of folks had acquired in contact by social media.

“There isn’t a whole lot of help on the market for younger folks with most cancers, the physique picture unwanted side effects together with the load achieve and hair loss – if I will help I’ll,” she mentioned.

“Do not let that phrase ‘most cancers’ drag you down, be constructive and when you’ve got that constructive perspective these round you can be constructive.

“Do not let it the phrase ‘most cancers’ or ‘sufferer’ decide you, simply be a fighter.”

Sam mentioned he was now half Welsh as his stem cell donor was from Wales and he known as on the general public to enroll to the stem cell register.

“His blood and his stem cells have been grafted into me and make up my white blood cells, so my blood kind ended up altering to his – it’s exceptional what occurs however his donation has saved me alive,” he mentioned.

“So, it’s not nearly chemo and radiotherapy it is usually in regards to the public, opening up their minds to see what they’ll do to assist these residing with most cancers.”

Lymphoma is a most cancers of the lymphatic system. It develops when blood cells known as lymphocytes grow to be irregular.

Regular lymphocytes combat an infection. They’re a part of the lymphatic system which helps defend your physique from an infection and illness.

There are two principal sorts of lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

When somebody has Hodgkin lymphoma, HL B-lymphocytes begin to multiply in an irregular means and start to gather in sure elements of the lymphatic system such because the lymph nodes (glands).

The most typical symptom is a painless swelling in a lymph node, normally within the neck, armpit, or groin.

Cancers identified in folks aged between 18 and 49 in Northern Eire have risen by 20% previously 25 years.

The analysis carried out by Queen’s College Belfast and the NI Most cancers Registry in contrast 2019 statistics with 1993 figures, when registry data started.

Figures confirmed that by 2019, 1,076 folks aged 18-49 have been identified with some type of most cancers.