Anjna's breast cancer story
Anjna was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer in 2023. She discovered a lump under her armpit whilst on holiday and when she returned, she went to see her GP. Although she wasn’t sure that this could be a symptom of cancer, she wanted to get it checked out as she felt it wasn't right.
Her GP in Redbridge referred her to the breast cancer clinic for tests, which took place at King George’s in Ilford in the London Borough of Redbridge. Her mammogram showed no signs of cancer; however, her diagnosis was undertaken through a biopsy which confirmed stage 3 breast cancer.
She then needed to have an MRI scan to confirm the source of the cancer (due to dense tissue this wasn’t picked up by the mammogram) and this took place at Queen’s Hospital in Romford.
With breast cancer confirmed, she was introduced to her oncologist, and this meeting took place online. Subsequent meetings were held over the phone and Anjna felt that this meant that things like body language, emotions and how a person looks and feels were not picked up in the way they would have been through a face-to-face appointment.
Her chemotherapy also took place at Queen’s Hospital. She was not offered a Holistic Needs Assessment (HNA) at this stage - an HNA gives you the opportunity to discuss your physical, practical, emotional or social needs. Instead, she was given one during her radiotherapy treatment, which she feels was too late in the process. Her nurse felt that an HNA is more appropriate later in the process, so there needs to be some clarification for patients about the most appropriate timing for this.
Another challenge during her treatment was lack of access to local support services. She was provided with details of support group in Kings Cross, but due to a combination of distance and available courses, this was not very accessible. Anjna highlighted a potential gap in local support services in Redbridge (more are available in Havering, but travel is a challenge).
There were also challenges in communicating with her nurse and she was told to get in touch via email. More regular communication – at least via phone, or preferably face-to-face – would have helped.
Macmillan provided some opportunities for support and Anjna attended a couple of courses. One was on empowerment but only a couple of people attended, so maybe they need to be promoted more to cancer patients, and be more reflective of the diverse population.
Another course – Living with and Beyond Cancer – was better attended and the invite came via a personal invite from Macmillan, which was really appreciated.
Key learning points
Getting checked: Anjna did completely the right thing in getting a lump checked – if something doesn’t feel or seem right, get it checked by your GP.
Holistic Needs Assessments: All cancer patients should receive one. There needs to be a consistent approach to ensure that every patient receives one at the right time. For more information on personalised cancer care for patients, visit https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/personalising-your-cancer-care
Local support services: These should be available in every borough - visit https://www.nelcanceralliance.nhs.uk/patient-and-carer-information/non-medical-support
Communications: A patient should be able to contact their nurse or oncologist regularly via phone, as well as face-to-face where possible.