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Report transcript in: Gail’s story
Please Report the Errrors?
Good afternoon Gail.
Is there anything that you would like to share about your experience
with cancer or cancer screening that you think others should hear?
Hello,
my name's Gail Clark.
I lost my mum to breast cancer
20 years ago this year,
so things may have changed,
I don't know in the protocol.
Um,
but mm.
Had breast cancer when she was 71,
and passed when she was 73.
Um,
in the meantime,
I have a sister
who's a little bit younger than me,
um,
and she,
Has lots of lumps,
um,
and cysts in her breasts,
um which obviously she goes and gets checked out,
and
that's on a,
that's a regular thing probably every year for her.
Um,
I have
the 3 year routine
breast screening,
uh,
which apparently stops
at 70.
Um,
which means that the last one I had
in December of last year
would in theory be
my next to my last one
when I spoke to the radiographer.
Uh,
but apparently you can.
Request them after the age of 70.
When Mum was diagnosed
with breast cancer,
we did ask at the time
about the BRCA gene
and could myself and my sister be tested for that.
But we were told
no because we'd only had one blood close relative.
Can I just ask Gail,
how did you know about the BRCA gene?
It was actually on posters in the breast screening area
um at Rotherham General Hospital.
Otherwise we wouldn't
have known about that.
No one ever mentioned it.
Um,
the consultant didn't mention it
when we were given the news about Mum's breast cancer.
Um,
there was a breast nurse specialist
in the room at the time as well.
She didn't mention anything.
Even though we had got concerns.
Um,
subsequently.
I've lost two aunties
on my mum's side of the family
and a cousin all to breast cancer.
But as far as I'm aware,
I can't,
we can't get
the BRCA gene testing because they're not
blood relatives like
as in my mum,
um.
Whether things have changed or
maybe they should because
it does pave a way to better treatment
as far as I know.
Um,
I'm going back 20 years now,
but mm had radiotherapy.
Um,
but it
didn't,
obviously didn't
sadly
work for mm,
um.
And mum then got secondaries.
Um,
and how do you feel,
Gail,
when it's time to go for your breast screening?
I get very anxious
and very nervous,
um.
I have cried
when I've been having the screening,
not because of the
pressure or pain or anything,
or having the test done,
but just the sheer anxiety that I face when I go in there.
Um,
and then
The 2 weeks or sometimes longer
that you wait for
the results.
I'm so
Anxious,
it's such an anxious time for me,
um,
because of mm and I saw how she was and what she went through.
Um,
I don't quite fully understand why
there's a 2 to 3 weeks or whatever waiting period for the results.
Because the results are there straight away.
And I understand that they have to be checked,
but it's still a long time to leave people waiting.
So in your opinion,
would it make it better
if,
if the results from the screening came through sooner?
Yeah,
yeah,
and I'm sure
a lot of people will feel the same.
Um,
the waiting,
like with anything that you,
any results or tests that you're waiting for,
it's a very anxious time,
um,
for people.
Thank you for that,
Gail,
thank you.
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