by Jilly Stevens
There are some things you can’t wait to share with friends and family – and then there’s being told you have anal cancer.
That was where I found myself at the beginning of 2019. At the end of 2018 I had returned my bowel cancer screening test as usual. Every year, since my 60th birthday, it had arrived in the mail. I called it my Poo By Post test. This time, I received a second test asking me to do it again as they’d found traces of blood. Then a third test arrived. Then the phone call asking me to go to the hospital that week.
Now I know the test is a bit fiddly. It’s simpler now than it was, but it still involves scooping a tiny bit of your poo into a test tube. A lot of people don’t like this idea. But please, please, do it – because it’s worth it. The few minutes it took me, saved my life!
Changing attitudes
It’s not always easy to tell people you have cancer, although it’s easier than it used to be. When I was a child, it was a taboo subject. That secrecy, and the fear of finding out you had what we then called the big C, if we dared to name it at all, stopped far too many people from seeking help when they thought something was wrong.
The chances of survival were not great 60 years ago, but far too many people died simply because they didn’t go to the doctor when they knew they should. Sadly, this true in some communities, even today.
But in general, nowadays, thank goodness, most of us do talk openly about cancer. We all know people who have been cured. It is not a life sentence. But even so, I was hesitant about sharing my news. Anal cancer draws attention to that part of our body that we are most private about. I had cancer of the bottom. It was not only life threatening, it was also embarrassing.
Going public
It took me a day to decide what to do. I opened my Facebook page and came clean. I told the world that I had anal cancer, that I was going to get treatment for it and that the bowel cancer screening test I had completed had probably saved my life. I berated those friends who told me they didn’t bother to do it. And cheered those who did. Several people started doing the test after my news.
In February that year I had the tumour surgically removed. Once I’d healed, in early summer, I had a course of oral chemotherapy and pelvic radiotherapy. This was every weekday for five weeks.
I cannot pretend this was pleasant. I’m claustrophobic and my radiotherapy involved being in a tunnel, similar to having an MRI. Those radiographers were absolute stars. No matter who was on duty, every one of them was kind, sympathetic and talked to me as I had the treatment. The receptionists and all staff at the Park Centre where I went every day were also wonderful.
The chemotherapy – which I took in tablet form – made me feel rotten, too. But by the end of the year, scans and blood tests showed that I was probably cancer free.
And that’s still true today.
A great service
We have a great NHS. For cancer patients in our city being referred on the urgent cancer pathway means nobody has to hang around waiting to know. You are seen within two weeks, usually quicker, and your treatment is started as soon as possible.
You’ll be cared for by experts and if my experience is anything to go by you will be told exactly what is happening and why. I was also supported from diagnosis to cure and longer by my own Macmillan nurse. What a wonderful service they provide.
I can now write about my brush with cancer because I took that test. Don’t risk it. Do it too. The earlier you catch cancer, the better your chance of survival.
If you are aged 54 to 74 and registered with a GP you should receive a test through the post every two years. By 2025 your test should arrive every two years if you are 50 or over.
If you are over 75 you can ask for a kit every two years by phoning 0800 707 6060.
And if you’re worried at any time that something is not right – see your doctor, whether or not you’ve had a test.
If you have any concerns about cancer or cancer screening get in touch with our Act on Cancer Together team. Email [email protected] or call 01273234769