Patient stories

When Natasha, 51, was told she had stage 2 DCIS breast cancer in November 2018, she became the third woman in her family to receive such a diagnosis. Now nearly six years on and cancer free, Natasha shares her story.

Natalie Pearce, 52, was diagnosed with stage 3c ovarian cancer in November 2012. She subsequently discovered she carries the BRCA1 gene mutation, putting her at a higher risk of developing various cancers. Following surgery and treatment, Natalie has been cancer free since April 2013.

Jesse was two years old when he was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a type of blood and bone marrow cancer, in November 2023. Now, a year since his diagnosis and thankfully in remission, Jesse’s mum, Polly, shares their story to mark World Children’s Day.

Sue Vincent was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 when she was 54. In 2010 she discovered it had spread and was inoperable. She was told she had just months to live, until a new targeted treatment changed everything. Sue lives with her husband Pete in Solihull, Birmingham – between them they have four daughters and five grandchildren, with another on the way next year.

Dr Jessica May Hislop joined The Institute of Cancer Research as a Bioinformatician in the Houlston Lab in the Genetics and Epidemiology division. Together with her colleagues, she is working towards understanding how mutations in our DNA lead to cancer. But her career almost took an entirely different direction.

Shelley Harding is a familiar face at the Terry Fox UK runs. A Canadian, who moved to London 23 years ago, she sells official event T-shirts to raise vital funds for The Institute of Cancer Research. This year she attended Terry Fox Runs in Battersea Park, Hampshire and will be at Wrexham this weekend. Last month she was invited to a special Terry Fox reception at Canada House in London, where Fred Fox spoke about his brother.

Professor Paul Workman is Harrap Professor of Pharmacology and Therapeutics at The Institute of Cancer Research. He has worked in the field of cancer research for more than 50 years and was the ICR’s Chief Executive and President from 2014 to 2021. During his leadership, he oversaw many of our scientific successes – including the development of smarter and kinder forms of radiotherapy. Now, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer himself in 2022, he reflects on his experience as both a leading cancer scientist and now a cancer patient.

Alison and Brian set up the Doing It For Daniel Foundation in memory of their son, Daniel, who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour at the age of 16 and passed away seven months later. Here, Alison shares their story and explains why the ICR’s research into a cure for Daniel’s cancer is so important.