My cancer has spread, says victim of scandal

ONE of the women affected by the Cervical Check scandal has revealed that cancer has now spread to her lymph nodes after she initially received two incorrect allclear smear tests.

The woman, who wishes only to be identified as ‘Orla’, spoke yesterday about her most recent prognosis, which she received just last month.

It comes after an initial cancer diagnosis in May 2016, which was given following two falsely negative cervical smear tests taken in 2011 and 2014 respectively.

After undergoing treatment, Orla received the all-clear from doctors in June last year, however in September she began experiencing symptoms and she was diagnosed with cancer again in May.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Liveline yesterday, Orla said that while the cancer had yet to perforate any major organs, it was now ‘riddled through her lymph nodes’.

‘The treatment worked, but it’s going through my lymph system now and near my kidneys,’ she later told the Irish Daily Mail.

However, Orla has been given a lifeline through an upcoming immunotherapy drug trial, which will be similar to the dose credited with the recent shrinkage in Vicky Phelan’s tumours.

‘There’s a number of immunotherapy options and, obviously, I feel a bit more optimistic now with Vicky’s news,’ she said.

‘At least there’s hope, whereas with chemo there’s no hope. It’s fingers crossed that I respond well, because otherwise I’m looking at a death sentence,’ she said.

Mrs Phelan, who has been at the centre of the Cervical Check scandal since it broke in late April, revealed to The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1 this week that she had experienced ‘significant shrinkage’ in her tumours after three doses of the innovative treatment.

Meanwhile, although Orla called the initial promise of €2,000 for women affected by the scandal ‘a well-meaning gesture’, she added that further and extended longterm compensation also needs to be implemented.

‘Obviously, I understand that more would be better – as getting two smears checked independently cost £600 sterling so at least it’s there to help. Women aren’t precluded to getting testing by not having the funds,’ she said.

‘I think it’s a little bit low, but I think it’s well-meaning and wellintentioned,’ she added.

The recommendation of compensation comes as Dr Gabriel Scally, who is co-ordinating the Cervical Check inquiry, took aim at the HSE and the Department of Health for delays in providing important documentation to the inquiry.

According to a HSE spokesperson earlier this week, senior managers have agreed to meet Dr Scally’s team as soon as possible to ‘alleviate the issues raised’.

holly.hales@dailymail.ie

‘Immunotherapy is is my last hope’