Stories of people living with and beyond cancer

Keith is thankful for the fortunate piece of advice that saw him diagnosed with bladder cancer at an early stage.

'This was my way of paying back while getting treatment for myself'

'I was proud that I participated in a trial that can potentially save lives.'

"It's so weird to feel like a bit of your body betrays you," says testicular cancer survivor Jamie Brady.

"My first night in hospital was the night the lockdown was announced" - acute myeloid leukaemia survivor Elaine Scully.

Testicular cancer survivor Aidan urges, "If something isn’t right, don’t hang around: get it seen to."

"There is such a taboo attached to bowel cancer, as if we shouldn’t be talking about it."

"The decision straight away was double mastectomy and reconstruction. It wasn’t a difficult decision for me. I just wanted to live."

‘If you delay and don’t get it seen to, the consequences could be life-threatening’

‘Some people don’t know what to say to you’

The Britton family shares their father Brian's diaries of life with a terminal cancer diagnosis.

"I feel I was one of the lucky ones. I didn't have any symptoms of pancreatic cancer."

"More and more metastatic patients live for many years with a good quality of life."

"With a new-born to deal with, my mind was spinning."

"I remember my Dad telling me we had to be prepared in case it was something more serious"

"If you take anything from my story, if you notice anything unusual in yourself, then please, please get it checked"

"I want the world to know how proud of our daughter we are"

"Hearing the words 'you have cancer' at the age of 17 is utterly surreal"

Clare Breen shares her story of how cancer treatment caused her to think ahead about future family options

Big names take part in virtual festival for 8-year-old Saoírse, who was diagnosed with an Osteosarcoma tumour

"The waiting game during the pandemic is not a good one" - Jane's experience of skin cancer during Covid-19

"People need to take personal responsibility for the vulnerable in society" - chemotherapy during Covid

"I haven't been able to hug anyone" - Karen's story of receiving a cancer diagnosis during a global pandemic

"I had to wait over three months for my colonoscopy" - cancer patient Vanessa Job shares her experience.

"Staff are trying to make it as easy as possible" - Aileen Murphy shares her experience of treatment and cocooning.

Westmeath woman Anne was 29-years-old and 29 weeks pregnant when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2012. 

Sinead was 34, two years married and just after becoming a mum for the first time when she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in October 2009.

"These images show the reality of not wearing sunscreen," says skin cancer survivor James.

'My story is positive because of my reaction,' says testicular cancer survivor Pa

'Lean on others during your journey, don’t try to do it solo'

‘I’m grateful every day that I noticed it in time’

'Taking that step (to get counselling) changed my whole world'

Anne describes her counsellor as ‘a wonderful person who came into my life at the right time’

‘Without vital cancer research I wouldn’t have had treatment options’

'Go get yourself checked out. Sometimes we men can be a bit macho about the whole thing,' says lymphoma survivor Paul.

“6 months ago I struggled to even think about getting out of bed and now I am taking on a 10k run” - Ovarian cancer survivor Emma

"I like to see my cancer as a pause in my life, a really bad pause, but a pause all the same.” - Thyroid cancer survivor Ciara

‘I want to encourage men not to be scared’

“It felt like everything was coming at me at the one time – it was incredibly overwhelming.”

“Nothing is as scary as the ideas you create in your head.”

“I know my cancer diagnosis will make me a better oncology nurse, I have now been on both sides of this experience.”

"For the hour-long drive home and for a while after that, I just kept thinking: ‘Not me, he wasn’t talking about me."

‘Staying active was a huge part of my recovery’

‘I was amazed with the care I got’

Testicular cancer - ‘It changed my attitude to life entirely’