Latest news with #AMMF
STV News
a day ago
- Health
- STV News
'Doctors thought I had gallstones - it turned out to be a rare liver cancer'
A Moray mum has described how a suspected case of gallstones turned out to be a rare form of liver cancer following a six-month wait for vital scans. Nikki Simpson, 52, who has cholangiocarcinoma, says her symptoms were dismissed despite several visits to her GP clinic in pain. Tests revealed a 10cm tumour on her liver in September 2024. She has since undergone 15 rounds of chemotherapy and is now receiving immunotherapy. Now, Nikki is supporting a national campaign to raise awareness of the signs of the disease. She told STV News: 'It's very difficult to diagnose, but I went with several different symptoms of the disease. 'I had a lot of pain underneath my right ribs, changing bowel habits, and darker urine. 'I wasn't jaundiced – which is one of the main symptoms – possibly one of the reasons why it was missed. 'Because there's not enough awareness of the disease – both among patients and health professionals – it was fobbed off for six months.' Husband Neill added: 'Whether that could have made the difference or not, we'll never know.' Once classed as rare, cholangiocarcinoma is now on the rise amongst younger people, with six in 100,000 Scots developing the disease. STV News Nikki Simpson hopes to raise awareness of cholangiocarcinoma Vague symptoms such as pain under the right rib, tiredness, pale stools and dark urine mean it's difficult to diagnose and often not until it's too late for treatment. Nikki joined campaigners and health professionals at a reception held at Holyrood to press politicians to fund more research into treatment for cholangiocarcinoma. 'You put you're trust in the professionals, but if things are taking six months, it could unfortunately be too late,' she said. 'My disease is stabilised, which is the best we can hope for. I'm hoping the immunotherapy will keep it at bay for longer.' Liver cancer charity AMMF says it wants more GPs to be aware of the signs and urges people who are concerned to ask their doctor for a liver function test. AMMF CEO Helen Morement said: 'We ask GPs just to be aware that these vague symptoms could add up to something serious and if there's the slightest suspicion, run a liver function test.' 'It's just a blood test and it will show if the liver results are raised and if so, then start investigating.' Public health minister Jenni Minto has agreed to consider the case for tests which explore if patients are eligible for immunotherapy treatments which can delay the cancer's progress. The Simpsons say they don't want anyone else to have to suffer life-changing delays for a diagnosis. Neill said: 'If we can help someone else going forward, that's going to be in our position, that can only be a good thing. 'We want to raise awareness to stop this from happening to other families.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Mum's death days after cancer news not uncommon'
A mother of three who died days after receiving a liver cancer diagnosis is a tragically common case, a charity has said. Sian Ashcroft died last year aged 35 just 18 days after she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a form of liver cancer. Also known as bile duct cancer, CCA has a "dismal" five-year survival rate of between 2-9% compared to the England average for all cancers which is 54%, CCA charity AMMF said. The charity said this was because patients were often diagnosed at a late stage and medical teams were unaware of the treatments available, with more than 50% of CCA patients receiving no cancer-specific treatment at all. The Royal College of General Practitioners said that diagnosing some cancers in primary care could be incredibly challenging but that the proportion of cancers diagnosed after referral by a GP had increased in latest figures. The Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment. Ms Ashcroft, from Ormskirk, first started to realise that something was wrong with her health when she tried to donate blood in the spring of 2023 and was told she was anaemic, her family said. She began taking iron tablets to address her anaemia but, by the August, she started to experience abdominal pain, which she initially put down to food poisoning. When the pain continued, her GP referred her for hospital tests. At first, she was told she probably had gallstones but, as the pain worsened, she was admitted to hospital for surgery to insert a stent in her bile duct. In early November 2023, at a follow-up appointment, Sian was told that she had a 2cm (0.79in) lesion on her liver and several smaller lesions that were concerning. Although chemotherapy was discussed, Ms Ashcroft did not receive a CCA diagnosis for another two months. In January 2024, she was diagnosed with terminal cholangiocarcinoma at Aintree University Hospital and told she had months to live. She died 18 days later. "Sian's prognosis was an incredible shock for everyone," her mum, Sue Dowling said. "She had become increasingly poorly, with frequent visits to her GP and time spent in hospital, but her diagnosis came too late to save her. "Despite this, she remained incredibly positive, she never lost her sense of humour, she was exceptionally brave and, above all, she never stopped thinking about her family." AMMF chief executive, Helen Morement, said Ms Ashcroft's story was, "tragically", not uncommon. She said the majority of CCA diagnoses were late-stage and only about 21% were diagnosed at stage one or two, which was well below the proportion for all cancers generally (54%). "Often, patients don't fit the profile of what many assume a liver cancer patient should look like," Ms Morement said. "Unlike the other more well-known type of primary liver cancer – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - there isn't an established link to liver cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, alcohol or other lifestyle factors." New evidence suggests cases are rising significantly, the charity says. Figures published by the NHS recorded the number of cases of CCA in 2020 in England as 2,706, almost the same as HCC (2,792). The charity said this should be a significant cause for concern, given that the prognosis for CCA is "currently so dismal". There are a number of treatments that can help to control symptoms and delay progression of the cancer, however more than 50% of CCA patients are not given any cancer-specific treatment at all, according to research commissioned by AMMF. "People are dying because there is a lack of knowledge of what is available," Ms Morement said. "If they are diagnosed somewhere where they do not have a lot of experience the patient needs to be referred to someone who is an expert because time is of the essence." On Thursday, as part of World Cholangiocarcinoma Day, Liverpool's Royal Liver Building is set to turn purple to raise awareness for AMMF's Rethink Liver Cancer campaign and in memory of Sian Ashcroft As part of the campaign, the charity is calling on clinicians, health planners and policy makers to "rethink" the disease, to help ensure that people with CCA receive the best possible chance of improving the health outcomes. "If someone comes to a doctor with these unusual symptoms and they're not clearing up they should run a liver test, which will pick up if there is something wrong," Ms Morement said. "We really need to get earlier diagnoses and to do that we need GPs to be more aware." The Royal College of General Practitioners said "due to the intense workload and workforce pressures on our service", GPs often lacked the time with patients to have the conversations needed to consider less likely diagnoses. "The government urgently needs to invest in primary care and support our workforce with recruitment and retention initiatives," Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said. "Diagnosing some cancers in primary care can be incredibly challenging as early symptoms may often be vague or indicative of more common and less serious conditions - and some cancers, such as this one, may not present clinically until they are already at quite a late stage. "However, the proportion of cancers diagnosed after referral by a GP increased to 60% by 2020, according to latest figures." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer. AMMF Cancer Research Department of Health and Social Care NHS - Cholangiocarcinoma
BBC News
20-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Mum who died days after cancer diagnosis 'tragically' common case
A mother of three who died days after receiving a liver cancer diagnosis is a tragically common case, a charity has Ashcroft died last year aged 35 just 18 days after she was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), a form of liver known as bile duct cancer, CCA has a "dismal" five-year survival rate of between 2-9% compared to the England average for all cancers which is 54%, CCA charity AMMF charity said this was because patients were often diagnosed at a late stage and medical teams were unaware of the treatments available, with more than 50% of CCA patients receiving no cancer-specific treatment at all. The Royal College of General Practitioners said that diagnosing some cancers in primary care could be incredibly challenging but that the proportion of cancers diagnosed after referral by a GP had increased in latest Department of Health and Social Care has been contacted for comment. Ms Ashcroft, from Ormskirk, first started to realise that something was wrong with her health when she tried to donate blood in the spring of 2023 and was told she was anaemic, her family began taking iron tablets to address her anaemia but, by the August, she started to experience abdominal pain, which she initially put down to food poisoning. 'An incredible shock' When the pain continued, her GP referred her for hospital tests. At first, she was told she probably had gallstones but, as the pain worsened, she was admitted to hospital for surgery to insert a stent in her bile early November 2023, at a follow-up appointment, Sian was told that she had a 2cm (0.79in) lesion on her liver and several smaller lesions that were concerning. Although chemotherapy was discussed, Ms Ashcroft did not receive a CCA diagnosis for another two January 2024, she was diagnosed with terminal cholangiocarcinoma at Aintree University Hospital and told she had months to live. She died 18 days later. "Sian's prognosis was an incredible shock for everyone," her mum, Sue Dowling said."She had become increasingly poorly, with frequent visits to her GP and time spent in hospital, but her diagnosis came too late to save her."Despite this, she remained incredibly positive, she never lost her sense of humour, she was exceptionally brave and, above all, she never stopped thinking about her family." AMMF chief executive, Helen Morement, said Ms Ashcroft's story was, "tragically", not said the majority of CCA diagnoses were late-stage and only about 21% were diagnosed at stage one or two, which was well below the proportion for all cancers generally (54%)."Often, patients don't fit the profile of what many assume a liver cancer patient should look like," Ms Morement said."Unlike the other more well-known type of primary liver cancer – Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) - there isn't an established link to liver cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, alcohol or other lifestyle factors." New evidence suggests cases are rising significantly, the charity says. Figures published by the NHS recorded the number of cases of CCA in 2020 in England as 2,706, almost the same as HCC (2,792).The charity said this should be a significant cause for concern, given that the prognosis for CCA is "currently so dismal". There are a number of treatments that can help to control symptoms and delay progression of the cancer, however more than 50% of CCA patients are not given any cancer-specific treatment at all, according to research commissioned by AMMF."People are dying because there is a lack of knowledge of what is available," Ms Morement said."If they are diagnosed somewhere where they do not have a lot of experience the patient needs to be referred to someone who is an expert because time is of the essence." 'Rethink' On Thursday, as part of World Cholangiocarcinoma Day, Liverpool's Royal Liver Building is set to turn purple to raise awareness for AMMF's Rethink Liver Cancer campaign and in memory of Sian AshcroftAs part of the campaign, the charity is calling on clinicians, health planners and policy makers to "rethink" the disease, to help ensure that people with CCA receive the best possible chance of improving the health outcomes."If someone comes to a doctor with these unusual symptoms and they're not clearing up they should run a liver test, which will pick up if there is something wrong," Ms Morement said."We really need to get earlier diagnoses and to do that we need GPs to be more aware."The Royal College of General Practitioners said "due to the intense workload and workforce pressures on our service", GPs often lacked the time with patients to have the conversations needed to consider less likely diagnoses."The government urgently needs to invest in primary care and support our workforce with recruitment and retention initiatives," Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said."Diagnosing some cancers in primary care can be incredibly challenging as early symptoms may often be vague or indicative of more common and less serious conditions - and some cancers, such as this one, may not present clinically until they are already at quite a late stage."However, the proportion of cancers diagnosed after referral by a GP increased to 60% by 2020, according to latest figures." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Cancer survivor to cross India's mountains by bike
A cancer survivor who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, hiked to Everest Base Camp and cycled from Vietnam to Cambodia is about to set out on her next challenge. Andrea Sheardown, 52, was originally given six weeks to live 10 years ago when she was diagnosed with bile duct cancer. But Ms Sheardown, of Sandbach, Cheshire, is now preparing for an 800km (497miles) bike ride in India in to top the £100,000 she has already raised for AMMF - the UK's only charity focused on the cancer, known as cholangiocarcinoma. "It's definitely not a challenge for the faint-hearted," she said, stressing it needed to be challenging as everything has been since the mother of three was first diagnosed. Ms Sheardown said the ride from Chennai to Kochi, crossing the Western Ghats mountain range, was going to be "brutal," but she will be supported by 20 other people, including her husband. "I'm slowly starting to paint the world purple," she said, in reference to the colour of the charity, and the number of places she has been to in her fundraising quest. Having thought a decade ago she would not see her children's next birthday, she said she hoped her drive to move forward against the odds had inspired them. Her team of cyclists - dubbed Andrea's AMMF Army - are set to arrive in India on Thursday, which is World Cholangiocarcinoma Day. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Cancer survivor set for Peru mountain charity trek 'Given six weeks to live, I forged a new life' AMMF Charity NHS - Bile duct cancer
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Sandbach cancer survivor to cycle 800km across India
A cancer survivor who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, hiked to Everest Base Camp and cycled from Vietnam to Cambodia is about to set out on her next Sheardown, 52, was originally given six weeks to live 10 years ago when she was diagnosed with bile duct Ms Sheardown, of Sandbach, Cheshire, is now preparing for an 800km (497miles) bike ride in India in to top the £100,000 she has already raised for AMMF - the UK's only charity focused on the cancer, known as cholangiocarcinoma."It's definitely not a challenge for the faint-hearted," she said, stressing it needed to be challenging as everything has been since the mother of three was first diagnosed. Ms Sheardown said the ride from Chennai to Kochi, crossing the Western Ghats mountain range, was going to be "brutal," but she will be supported by 20 other people, including her husband."I'm slowly starting to paint the world purple," she said, in reference to the colour of the charity, and the number of places she has been to in her fundraising thought a decade ago she would not see her children's next birthday, she said she hoped her drive to move forward against the odds had inspired team of cyclists - dubbed Andrea's AMMF Army - are set to arrive in India on Thursday, which is World Cholangiocarcinoma Day. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
