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WHEN I heard my colleague and friend had stage 4 ovarian cancer, I did what we all do and went straight on the internet to look at the prognosis.

It wasn’t good and my stomach did that churny feeling as my heart sank. Yet it turns out stage 4 may not be curable, but it is treatable.

Five years on, she is still working with us, doing a great job, and living around her cancer, thanks to new drugs which are less harsh, making it easier to live a more normal life while undergoing treatment. Good news for us and good news for her husband and kids too! Zoe Harris, London

I was first diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in 1997 and received chemo. Unfortunately, it returned in 2001 and 2002 and I developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma. However, the Anthony Nolan Trust found an unrelated match and I started a trial at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. I received my transplanted cells from a donor in October 2003. I am the luckiest man alive thanks to all the consultants, doctors, nurses, cleaners and caterers who looked after me. And I’m still going strong and cancer-free. Paul McNiven, Airdrie North Lanarkshire

My mum had a polyp (lump) diagnosed in her colon. It was tricky to operate on due to its position and involved a more complex procedure than usual. It was only after the operation that the doctors confirmed it was cancerous. They said it had been removed successfully and she would just need checks every five years. The C word does fill you with dread, but my mum is living the high life again and with regular checks we’re hopeful that long may it continue. Laurice Shelley, London

It was just after Christmas when my mum sat us down and told us her skin cancer had returned – this time to her face.

I couldn’t bear that she had kept it to herself, so as not to worry us over the festive season.

But she’s had the operation and had the all clear again and was just left with a tiny mark on her nose. We’re off on a cruise to celebrate