Battling cancer on all fronts in North East
AHEAD OF A MAJOR PUBLIC INFORMATION EVENT IN DROGHEDA, PROFESSOR BRYAN HENNESSY TELLS ALISON COMYN ABOUT THE CHALLENGES OF FIGHTING CANCER
THE ultimate goal is to eliminate cancer in Ireland completely. Today however, Professor Bryan Hennessy would settle for raising awareness of the remarkable research taking place in the North East and all over Ireland, and how vital people’s fundraising efforts are to achieving their ultimate goal. As founder of NECRET (North East Cancer Research Education Trust), Consultant Medical Oncologist Dr Bryan Hennessy who is also Adjunct Professor in the Division of Cancer Medicine at the University of Texas, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, is passionate about ensuring patients get the best treatment for the disease, and they and their families get the best support and advice.
“I went into cancer research primarily because I had lost my own father Thomas to bowel cancer at the age of 60,” explains Professor Hennesy, who is originally from Tramore, Co Waterford, and divides his time now between Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and the Beaumont Hospital.
“After a spell in America, I came back to Ireland almost ten years ago, and the strides that have been made in treating so many forms of cancer are remarkable in that time, and I think it is important that people who raise funds for research get to hear about what a difference it makes.”
Each year, thousands of men, women and young people come to the Oncology unit in Drogheda for treatment.
The most common forms of cancer in the North East - as is the case all over the country - are breast, lung and bowel cancer, but the good news is they are the forms which are seeing the highest survival rates.
“There’s no question that we have a greater understanding of cancer and how to treat it, and we are seeing improving survival rates and better treatments, and lung cancer in particular has seen people with it survive longer than ever before,” he says.
“It’ll be years until we see the impact of people not smoking in the first place on diagnosis rates, because those who are being diagnosed now, have been smoking for decades, or may have even given up ten years ago and are still at risk. One you smoke, your risk of lung cancer goes up substantially, and stopping cigarettes never brings it back to the level before you smoked - it will reduce it, and giving up is always encouraged,”
Listening to the ladies’ stories at the NECRET Dip in the Nip just last week, it’s clear that breast cancer has touched nearly every family in the region directly or indirectly.
Yet, research is also showing that our choices and lifestyles can have a huge bearing on our risk of getting cancer.
“Breast cancer is more common in the developed world, and that’s not going to change, because there’s no question among scientists that having children earlier is a protective factor against breast cancer, so when women have fewer children, and in later life, those increase the risk of breast cancer, as well as other factors like alcohol intake,” he explains.
“But on the positive side, it’s being picked up earlier because of screening programmes, and the treatments are much better, so the outcomes are better.”
Professor Hennessy says cancer does just sometimes happen, but most are down to lifestyle choices and people should take responsibility and change diet and lifestyle, and make use of screening programmes.
‘Lung cancer is from smoking, bowel cancer is usually a poor diet, breast cancer is often the lifestyle issues we’ve talked about, so to a certain extent, we are in control of cancers,” he adds.
“There are screening programmes for the three cancers I mentioned, and as yet none for prostate cancer, so men should be aware of that themselves.”
Professor Hennessy feels Ireland let down its women during the cervical cancer screening scandal.
“It was very disappointing and I think a lot of processes that should have been put in place, weren’t, and that came across in the failures,” he says.
“The main thing to take from it from my point of view is to push the HPV vaccination, because with an uptake rate of 90%, cervical cancer will almost be eradicated, so I think we all need to push against the unfounded scare-mongering and encourage girls and boys to get the vaccination which is perfectly safe.”
Of course education is one of the most important aspects of raising awareness, and one of Professor Hennessy’s major events in association with NECRET is the annual public information and support day, which this year is being held in the City North Hotel on Saturday September 21st, from 1.30pm to 5.30pm.
Now in its seventh year, it’s a fantastic opportunity for everyone to learn about the latest developments in treatment, hear from leading specialists, and also Irish personalities who will share their personal stories of living with cancer.
“This is always such an uplifting and positive day, and I encourage everyone who is living with or survived cancer, or who has a family member who has, to come along and enjoy the day,” says Professor Hennessy.
“Mairead McGuiness MEP will be one of our guest speakers, and we will also hear from Professor Liam Gallagher, and of course, there are so many stands with holistic therapies and make-up demos, as that is a very important part of treatment and care.”
In fact, he says Drogheda and the North East is extremely lucky to have a facility such as the
Gary Kelly Centre, which is one of the finest places in Ireland that offers all those services.
“Cancer is not just physical, it is psychological, and the wellness aspect is vital towards recovery too,” he explains.
“We also have a programme in the local schools, which explains the science behind cancer and its treatment, and raises awareness at an early age.”
The annual conference will form two halves - a morning session for experts and an afternoon session for members of the public from 1pm.
Jim Daly T.D. Minister for Mental Health and Older People will open the Breast Cancer Symposium in the morning session for medical professionals where breast cancer is this year’s theme. Prof. Fidelma Flanagan, Consultant Radiologist at The Mater Hospital, Dublin and Clinical Director of Breast-Check, Dr Reem Salman, Consultant Breast Surgeon at Beacon Hospital, Craigavon Area Hospital, Beaumont Hospital, Eccles Clinic and Mater Private Hospital and Prof. Bryan Hennessy, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Beaumont Hospital and The Northeast Oncology Unit in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital are the expert speakers.
Sean Boylan is confirmed as guest speaker for the afternoon Patient Information & Support Day and the Living Better & Wellness Panel Discussion froom 4.30pm - 5.00pm will be a highlight of the public session.
Facilitated by Elizabeth Summersby, Advanced Nurse Practitioner, Northeast Oncology Unit in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Eileen Devenney, Medical Oncology & Haematology Social Worker will join Kay Morris, Cancer Physiotherapist and Niamh Devlin, Oncology Dietician, both Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital and Aileen Emery, Director of Services, Gary Kelly Cancer Support Centre.
Last year 70 attended, with GPs coming from all over Ireland to hear the latest developments in prostate cancer, and the visitors will also be treated to an appearance from the Bellewstown Church Choir.
‘OUR LIFESTYLE CHOICES CAN HAVE A HUGE BEARING.. LUNG CANCER IS FROM SMOKING, BOWEL CANCER IS USUALLY A POOR DIET, BREAST CANCER IS OFTEN THE LIFESTYLE ISSUES WE’VE TALKED ABOUT, SO TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, WE ARE IN CONTROL OF CANCERS