Rick Freedman, 50, who is Head of Research Finance at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), explains why our summer fundraising appeal, which is supporting our melanoma research, holds personal significance for him…
I was a northern English fair-skinned boy, but I grew up in New Zealand. I lost my mum to breast cancer when I was very young, so I was always cancer aware.
When I was 10 or 11 years old, I was diagnosed with dysplastic mole syndrome, which put me at a higher risk of developing skin cancer. As a result, while still living in New Zealand, I was regularly checked by a dermatologist.
When I returned to the UK, I assumed there would be a similar system of regular checks in place. But I was told by my GP that it was not necessary to see a doctor unless I found something of concern. I was used to being checked annually as standard, as had been the case in New Zealand. Now, with the limited funding and resources of the NHS, it was more difficult to guarantee regular mole-mapping. I would have to take the initiative when it came to monitoring my skin.
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For the next 15 years, I checked myself regularly and would occasionally pop to the doctor if I noticed anything unusual.
In 2011, I grew concerned about a mole on my arm that I felt had changed. I went to the GP and was referred to a dermatologist, who was immediately interested because of my dysplastic mole syndrome. They took a biopsy from my arm, and also from several other sites where I had large and irregular-shaped moles.
A few weeks later, I received a call saying that I should come in; I instantly knew what that would mean. I didn’t know as much about the different types of skin cancer as I do now, but I understood, when I heard my confirmed diagnosis of melanoma, that I had cancer. A biopsy taken from one of the moles on my back had revealed a malignancy.
“Using the C-word took my mind to certain places”
The timing of my diagnosis was somewhat inconvenient. My father in New Zealand had just been diagnosed with stage 4 terminal lung cancer and as a result, I kept my diagnosis to myself, choosing not to share it with my family.
My cancer diagnosis was a shock. From a mental health point of view, I preferred to refer to it as ‘melanoma’, not ‘cancer’. Using the C-word took my mind to certain places and I found it more manageable to label my disease as melanoma, which to me sounded like something more treatable.
I had surgery to remove quite a large chunk from my back, which left me with an impressive scar for a while. I also underwent lymph node screening, but fortunately there was no evidence the disease had spread beyond the cells in my skin. For the next few years, I had regular visits to the dermatologist and had a few other biopsies taken. I was officially discharged and confirmed cancer free in 2017.
Since then, I have taken care to monitor myself regularly and despite two further trips to the dermatologist, nothing of significance has been found. I have always been conscious of the dangers of the sun and do my best to keep safe outside.
“The more tools we have to tackle melanoma, the better”
I have worked at the ICR since 2018 and there is no doubt that my personal experiences have given me a connection to my work. Having lost both my parents to cancer, seen countless other relatives touched by it, and had my own experience, I like to think that I can make some contribution to our breakthroughs in cancer research. It is important to recognise not just the work that we do in cancer prevention and treatment, but also what we are doing to develop better tools for diagnosis too.
I have a personal connection to this summer’s fundraising appeal, in that it directly relates to the cancer that I had. But melanoma can affect anybody. Every time any of us goes outside, random mutations can put our skin at risk, no matter how careful we are. The more tools and the more knowledge we have to tackle this type of cancer, the better.
Your support will help our researchers make more life-saving discoveries, giving people with melanoma precious extra time with their loved ones.