Naman Julka-Anderson (00:00)
Hello everyone and welcome to Rad Chat, founded by me, Naman Julka- Anderson.

Jo McNamara Rad Chat Host (00:04)
and me, Jo McNamara. So Rad Chat is a forward thinking global knowledge hub where healthcare professionals can advance their expertise in radiotherapy and oncology. Unlike traditional academic resources, we blend real world experience, expert insights, best practice, and of course, most importantly, patient perspectives.

Naman Julka-Anderson (00:23)
We make advanced knowledge engaging and accessible, supporting continuous learning and professional development without compromising patient care or personal time. By providing insights into both technical skills and career development, helping you progress confidently in your field and shape your professional future.

Jo McNamara Rad Chat Host (00:39)
Just to let you know, our episodes may contain sensitive and difficult topics that you may find distressing or triggering.

Naman Julka-Anderson (00:46)
This is episode two as part of our anal cancer series. This series has been supported by an unrestricted grant from Incyte Biosciences. Incyte had no involvement in the development, content or editorial review of the activities associated with this initiative. Today we'll be hearing from our guest, Claire Laverty, talking about her experience of anal cancer. Hi Claire, how are you?

Claire Laverty (01:07)
I'm good, thank you.

Naman Julka-Anderson (01:08)
Great to have you on, would you mind just starting and telling us a bit about yourself please?

Claire Laverty (01:11)
Yeah, so I am Claire from Belfast in Northern Ireland and I am... Sorry, was going to say the window cleaner's wife. Everybody knows me as that. James's wife and see his mum. That's me.

So I work in an orthodontic practice in Belfast, well actually it's just outside Belfast in Downpatrick and I've worked there for nearly coming into 17 years, so a long time.

Yeah, more or less, and that'll fast you.

Naman Julka-Anderson (01:44)
Have you always lived in the same area?

Is it the

type of place where you wave and everyone knows everyone?

Claire Laverty (01:53)
Where I am at the minute, yeah, I do a lot of community work so a lot of people would know me about the area. I run a women's group and stuff like that.

Naman Julka-Anderson (02:02)
What's the women's group for?

Claire Laverty (02:03)
⁓ It's just actually a community group. actually, we call it a women's youth club. But it's for over 18s. But I have a very wide age range at come. So it could be like ladies up until their late 80s come from, I think the youngest has been 18 that's came. So it's quite hard. There's a men's youth club as well. And the men entertain themselves because they have darts and

and everything, whereas for women they need to have something there so they get facilitators in and it's on every other week, good craic.

Jo McNamara (02:36)
It sounds like a super cool women's institute. Just an excuse to all get together and chat.

Claire Laverty (02:40)
Yeah,

awk it is. Last week we were painting little pots with acrylic paint pens and everything so there was hardly any talking that night. Everybody had their heads down, really enjoying it. So it's good, it's good for people to get out and just have a bit of like time out away from the house and whatever else they're doing. For some people it gets them out of the week and other people it just gets them away from

the kids and busy life.

Naman Julka-Anderson (03:11)
Do you ever

swap with the other group and take over the pool in the darts?

Claire Laverty (03:14)
I have threatened to do that a few times but... So probably easier to run the men's It's awful, as a woman I should not say that on International Women's Week.

Naman Julka-Anderson (03:25)
Say what you like.

Claire Laverty (03:26)
But.

Naman Julka-Anderson (03:28)
Claire if you don't mind and if you feel comfortable could you just share a bit about your cancer diagnosis and treatments you had?

Claire Laverty (03:34)
So in March 24, I was going for a walk with my friend and just before I went, I went to the toilet to have a pee, pass urine. And when I went, there was quite a lot of blood with some blood clots. So I was a bit surprised, even more surprised to see that it came from the back end.

I hadn't been going to the toilet in that way. I was just going for urine so I was not expecting anything and I took a photo and contacted my mum and was like, look at this. And mum said, I think you should contact the doctor. Like that's quite a lot. So I went off on my walk anyway and

the following day, was evening time, so the following day I contacted the doctor and I said, like, think probably being a bit of a drama queen, but there was a bit of blood. She said she'll book it in. So she booked me in for the following day because I was in work and stuff and the following day was a half day on Friday. So when I went down, she had a wee check and I showed her the photograph and she was a bit taken back by there being so much blood

in the photo, but there had been nothing since that. So it was just like a one off isolated kind of incident, if you would call it that. So she said, like, because you've been blood, I have to give you the fit test, you know, the little still sample test. She said, I wouldn't be worrying about it. It's fine. I don't feel anything. And it's probably haemorrhoids. I don't know if I went. By the following week, I had real

inflammation is the only way to describe it in my back passage and it was really uncomfortable and distracting as well. So me, me I had a wee feel. And internally, it sounds really weird actually saying that out loud. But anyway, because it was so uncomfortable and really weird, I did, I felt and I could feel a lump. So

I contacted the doctor again and said how I felt and then actually I felt a lump after I got the phone call and they gave me another appointment. So I went down to the GP practice and the GP who had seen me the previous week said, Claire, I was actually going to phone you this afternoon. Do you mind if I see you today rather than the other GP? So I went and she said, Claire, your results came back and they're not good. So

I was a bit also taken back, but I don't know. So it wasn't high enough for the bowel cancer. it was high enough. I think it was like 170 or something for the FIT test. So she said, I said about feeling a lump and she had a feel and she said,

that was not there last week and the colour ran from her face and I do believe it wasn't there the week before. Whatever it was had, well, now I it was cancer but it had came away is my feeling. I'm not an expert. Anyhow, she referred me for colonoscopy and I went, I got an appointment for it just under two weeks or just over two weeks later, and

when I went I was bit nervous about being sedated and everything so I said I wanted to stay awake and they gave me a wee tiny tiny bit just to relax everything and I'm so glad that I did because she went round seeing everything in the colonoscopy and she was like no it's all clear there's nothing there and she even went right right round to the small bowel and

I just knew, I was like, no, no, I'm here because there's a lump. Like I can feel that lump, you need to find it. I wasn't rude or anything, but she did then spin the camera around, around the anal area and she did see the lump and they had a whole lengthy conversation over what it could be and she took biopsies and I was like, no, no, you need to take it away. And she was like, I can't, you've seen how much it's bleeding on the screen. Like I can't take it away.

you know, we'll, find out what it is. And I still had that inflammation feeling, but it wasn't just as bad as that week after the blade. So I had tortured the hospital for my biopsy results. It was.

I waited the first two weeks and then I started phoning and nothing was through over in Northern Ireland we were getting new computer systems within the hospital as well. So the results were coming in from the lab on paper and then they were having to put them on the computer. And by five weeks later I still hadn't had any results. So I was getting a bit frustrated and this Thursday afternoon I was in work and I got a call

from the hospital saying, we've got your biopsy results, can you come up to the hospital now? For an appointment for three o'clock, but it was 25 to three. And I of course was like, yes, of course, but I mean, it's 25 minutes away, like I don't know if I'll be there on time. And she said, that's okay, just come up straight away. We'll see you as soon as you get here. So I partly thought,

were they being and drama queens because I was torturing them for these results and they were just like, I'll show her. I don't know why that came into my head, but I just did not think it was going to be anything serious. So I called my husband and he said he would come meet me at the hospital. I was working in Downpatrick so it was a good wee distance away from where the Ulster Hospital was. And whenever we got there, there was a

Surgeon consultant met me, she was lovely and her nurse and they said I had anal cancer. I never had heard of anal cancer before because unfortunately a girl who I worked with, her husband, had passed away with anal cancer years ago. But I never knew the ins and outs of the details. I was close with her and everything at the time but I didn't know the ins and outs so

when they told me anal cancer, I said to her, are you sure? Are you sure it's not rectal cancer? Because it's inside. And she was like, no, no, that's still your anal canal. It's in there. I've seen it. We're going to have to get some scans and everything. Luckily, a friend of mine is one of the colorectal nurses there. I did not think I was going to be seeing her in the hospital, but she is a colorectal nurse in the Ulster Hospital.

When she seen me there and I told her what had happened, she was straight on the phone the following morning, first thing, booking in for my CT scan. And then she was, ⁓ my goodness, I got sent. She was then able to speak to the consultant, ask could she pass on my results because they were thankfully okay, I hadn't spread or anything. Then she was booking me in for my plan and MRI scan

and she also booked me in had to get a PET scan because they told me of a stage two that it happened when there was no evidence of it in any lymph nodes and

it hadn't spread thankfully. So they had to refer me in for a PET scan before I could be referred to the City Hospital. The City Hospital in Belfast, they are the only ones that do with anal cancer. And I think the whole process took about...

Oh gosh. It was three months before I got to start treatment. It was two months before I got to meet an oncologist and get assigned to an oncologist, which was Dr. Park. And the process felt very long because I never knew anybody who been through it before or anything. So I was constantly checking like, when will this be starting? I kept thinking, I'm going to get a call and start treatment next week.

It didn't happen and I was in work and I was on limbo because we only get statutory sick pay so I didn't know how long I was going to be off for or the uncertainty was really hard. Just that whole not knowing when I was going to start and everything but we got there in the end.

Jo McNamara (11:27)
There's

so many questions, isn't there, Claire? I think until you've seen that oncologist, you know...

Claire Laverty (11:29)
Yeah

Jo McNamara (11:33)
We as healthcare professionals always say don't Google, but we also know people do Google or they do talk to people about kind of their experience and things. And I think it's really hard, isn't it? When you just want to know all of these things, even the logistics of where am I going to be having treatment? How long is it going to take? And also the psychological impact of knowing that you have cancer. You know, we hear from lots of patients who say, I've been diagnosed,

⁓ and now I'm just waiting for treatment and I'd have preferred to have not known I had cancer and then been diagnosed and straight away into treatment because that that torturous time of just waiting can be really difficult and that's why we do a lot of petitioning with the government to say it's okay putting lots of money into diagnostics but you're diagnosing people and then they're having to wait for long periods of time so it's good that you've kind of highlighted that the just the psychological impact

as well as the logistical impact that that can have on you. It's not the case of, I've been told I've got cancer so I can take some time off work to kind of process this, because you're thinking, well, I can't, I need time off when I'm actually having treatment. So thanks for highlighting that. What treatment did you then go on to actually have, Claire?

Claire Laverty (12:40)
Yes.

The 28 sessions of radiotherapy with the chemo tablets and the blue chemo, don't know what it's called, infusion on the first day. Yeah, it was horrible.

Naman Julka-Anderson (13:00)
Did you know much about radiotherapy before they told you about it? Ever heard of it? any sort of, I don't know, ideas or myths in your head about it before you went?

Claire Laverty (13:03)
Nope.

No, I had no idea. Belfast City Hospital do have a little video. So I did get that, but it wasn't until closer to that time. I did have a good, gonna say up to 10 weeks of waiting and waiting before I got to that stage. And I had no idea what radiotherapy was.

circling.

Jo McNamara (13:30)
It's

something that we often find, is one of the reasons we do Rad Chat is to try and highlight what radiotherapy is to give education to patients. Did you get given any prehabilitation or anything, Claire? Is there anything specific that anyone told you to do to prepare for your treatment?

Claire Laverty (13:47)
I don't think so.

Jo McNamara (13:48)
Okay.

So it's just interesting from a healthcare professional's perspective, it's a great opportunity, especially 10 weeks is a long time. So in those 10 weeks, it would be great to be able to utilise that time and also give you something to actively do. Do you think as a patient, if we'd have said to you, actually, you need to think about nutrition, think about hydration, think about skincare

⁓ start to think about physical activity and increasing your physical activity prior to actually starting treatment. Do you think that would have been something that you would have done to kind of prepare for the treatment that you went through?

Claire Laverty (14:24)
Yes, definitely. Nobody actually did. A few people said, it's important to look after your skin. That was more in the Bottomline I'd already joined in the anal cancer support group, the Bottomline. And they had said about looking after your skin, but that was it. Nobody had actually said. I actually, although I was working, I didn't

go out and do any exercise or anything extra. I didn't know if I was gonna break. I don't know, it sounds ridiculous, but kind of wrapped myself up a little. So I went to work and came home and done bits and pieces with the family, but I didn't go out and exercise or change my diet or anything.

Jo McNamara (15:07)
I don't think it's ridiculous, I think I would think exactly the same which is I think why it's so important that the healthcare professionals advise people because even if you just read a leaflet or something online or you know someone on Instagram said something about oh you could do some physical activities you're not going to are you if you've got a cancer diagnosis you need someone to go it's okay to do these things and these are the things that we would advise so I think any healthcare professionals listening that could be a real

great opportunity to kind of empower patients to get involved in prehabilitation before starting their treatment so that they go into it in the best possible health. suppose you were working, you're nice and young and fit and healthy, apart from obviously having cancer. And so, you know, it was a missed opportunity, I think. So it'd be great for healthcare professionals to think about that. I know lots of people think at the point of diagnosis, it's not a good time.

Claire Laverty (15:57)
Yeah.

Jo McNamara (16:02)
To talk to patients about how they can kind of empower themselves to do some of this stuff. But I'm a firm believer as someone who's had cancer, actually, no, I want to be doing something because otherwise I'm just sitting waiting thinking, right, what is happening next? I'm not getting an appointment when actually you could think, right, I've got my nutrition nailed. I'm doing everything that I possibly can do. I'm doing some physical activity which might help with fatigue and things. So.

Claire Laverty (16:27)
Mm-hmm.

Jo McNamara (16:27)
Yeah, from

that perspective, it's really interesting, your experiences, which I think highlight a lot of people's experiences when they go through cancer treatment. Did you have any side effects, Claire, when you were going through treatment?

Claire Laverty (16:37)
Okay.

Well, the chemo tablets made me very, very sick, a lot of nausea and I did end up being on both of the main anti-sickness tablets at the time. But I think the main side effects is that I mean towards the end the skin started to break a little and I think I managed to get away

bit better than a lot of people and I do find that even now a lot of the healthcare professionals any that I see whether it be GP, nurse, oncology, anything, gynae, they all say your skin looks amazing you wouldn't think you had radiotherapy but I actually said to my husband the other week I don't think they realise

how much time and effort it takes now. You know, it's not just a case of you even just get a shower and like you have to make sure it's all dried properly. The tiniest wee bit of moisture can almost break the skin if it chafes in any way and it sounds ridiculous. It really does. But my skin would be pretty sensitive

but I just try my best to take care of it.

Naman Julka-Anderson (17:53)
Again, I don't think it's ridiculous. You're not supposed to have that sort of radiation to that area of your body. It is a very sensitive region, so we know because of where it is and how fragile sometimes the skin can be. And actually the chemotherapy makes it a lot worse. It's like a sensitising agent to help with the radiotherapy, but we know it makes the skin a lot more fragile in the area. So doesn't really matter how much creamy lather on or what you do. There's always going to be some sort of skin change that we would see on anyone.

And obviously like you said, there's moisture and things like that, it's always going to be slightly worse. Did they give you any topical creams to wear during the treatment?

Claire Laverty (18:25)
During the treatment it was just cetraben but I did see in the Bottomline group a lot of people were recommending the Flamigel. The radiotherapy one, it's a specialised one. So I did buy it and I used it three times a day before, just from day one right through. And I do think it helped. I hope it helped.

Naman Julka-Anderson (18:48)
Did you have any other side effects? I know you mentioned earlier on about bleeding. Did that change during the treatment and afterwards?

Claire Laverty (18:55)
Bleeding, so I didn't have any more bleeding after that. Well, had a little, sorry, I had a little. The first one just stands like so much because it was just so out of the blue. I had a little bleeding and some throughout treatment. They did warn me that it would be like the strawberry jam is what they described it and it really

was true. It was like strawberry jam. But so my tumour, this is going to be so random. I was, because I was off work, my daughter was doing swimming lessons and I went down to watch her with my husband and I bumped into one of my friends from work and she said, you look awful. Thanks. I felt horrendous. I felt sick all the time. It was

just, was coming up, I was up four weeks treatment, off treatment by this stage. So, and I felt horrendous, guess. And that night I went home and had a benefit. The chemo tablets to give you diarrhea. I was always more prone to constipation and still am

which is probably my saving grace for afterwards, but I'm sure we'll get to that in a minute. But I had to run to the bathroom when we got home from swimming and my tumour came away in the toilet. The radiotherapy nurse at the time there, she had said that that can happen.

And she showed the consultant, but obviously they didn't really want to say an awful lot to me about it and get my hopes up or anything. But yeah, did actually come away.

Jo McNamara (20:31)
it's really good to highlight your experience because

That's the things that we like to help prepare patients for. And as you said, you know, the radiographer talked about, you know, how the blood changes. Those little things help prepare you as much as you possibly can be prepared, because then you're not at home at 11 o'clock at night going to the toilet thinking, my gosh, is this normal? You know, do I need to ring someone? So I think it's really, really helpful that you've kind of shared that level of detail. Again, not everyone necessarily shares that level of detail

which I can totally understand but it also stops people learning about what it actually looks like, what it feels like. Claire did you have any late effects as a result of the treatments?

Claire Laverty (21:04)
Yeah.

Yes, so I was always prone to constipation anyway, so my constipation would be continual and with having had the radiotherapy, the anal area would be very sensitive. If I need to go, it feels very heavy and it's just a horrible feeling. It's very, very hard to describe that heavy feeling.

The skin breaks down easily and also got early menopause. I suppose it wasn't too far off it anyway, because I'm 42 now, so was 40 at the time. But yeah, the menopause side of things was a bit annoying because I actually feel that it was worse once I started HRT, but we're starting to get into a nice even keel with that now.

Jo McNamara (22:00)
Again.

so important that people recognise that you know some of the consequences of radiotherapy, chemotherapy are then long lasting and you are going through different things that you you may not necessarily have gone through the menopause that early on in your life and it's dealing with those as well. Did you feel prepared for the late effects of treatment? I know obviously you would have signed a consent form and people might have talked to you about late effects but do you feel like you were fully prepared for what that

actually meant.

Claire Laverty (22:30)
Not really, to be honest with you. They gave me a Macmillan booklet, this big booklet and it said that there's a little area near the back, for late effects and when you go to it, there's nothing there. Absolutely nothing. What is this? I kept looking and I thought am I missing this? I even got my mum to have a look.

So there was actually nothing there, but with regards to menopause, after treatment, because I've had the radiotherapy, it actually sensitised my skin so much that it gave me other problems. So giving me oestrogen then created a lot of bleeding spot, which I hadn't had because I didn't have a period for my stop treatment. So...

It just sort of like spiralled one thing after another, but I got a really good gynaecologist. She's actually an oncologist gynaecologist. So she has sorted me out and I think we're on the right track now. Hopefully.

Naman Julka-Anderson (23:35)
Can I ask you quite a personal question? So people who have pelvic radiotherapy they often talk about impacts of their sex and intimacy. How has that been for you and your husband?

Claire Laverty (23:37)
Yep.

Hmm.

It has created a little bit of a barrier there because the skin is so sensitive and also it's because of where the radiotherapy, even though it's because it's external beam radiotherapy, it's something I learned throughout. It's targeting more, even though you're going right for the cancer.

It's targeting the whole area too for the lymph nodes and everything. it's created like a tight band type of effect, if that makes sense. So that's something that they're sort of helping me through. Also because I had had my daughter natural birth, also scar tissue and things from that as well that after radiotherapy

it's firmed up a little bit more. It's not getting the proper, don't know, whatever it is that's supposed to be.

Jo McNamara (24:34)
Yeah, and did you then get dilators to use towards the end or after your radiotherapy had finished?

Claire Laverty (24:41)
Yes, so on the last day of treatment, they do your last set of blood tests and they give me the dilators and

of quick 10 minutes talk to tell you to use them like two weeks later and that was it really so there was no other

big information on that if that makes sense.

Naman Julka-Anderson (25:00)
So through Bottomline, support group, have you talked to other females who've been through similar treatment to you, especially around the sex and intimacy side of things, what their experiences have been, if they tried maybe different types of dilators or, you know, kind of, I suppose, sex toys. That's another option from like Lovehoney and stuff. We've recommended things to other people that are a bit more gentler and a bit less daunting looking with the purple kind of plastic thing we give you.

Claire Laverty (25:23)
Thank

So I had spoken to some of the other women and everything in the group chat but nobody... I'm so open. But at the same time I don't really... I don't know how to explain it but they haven't really like came forward with information themselves. There's a couple that sort of messaged me separately

said a few things but nobody's really recognized anything or I think everybody's kind of in this sort of boat if you know what I mean where you're kind of like what do you do what do know what's okay what's not okay.

Jo McNamara (26:04)
I think that's the thing isn't it when people share their experiences of living with and beyond cancer they're quite open to maybe talk about diarrhoea or quite open to talk about skin side effects but when it comes to sex and intimacy it's maybe not that you're not willing to talk about it but you don't know if others are willing to talk about it and it's really difficult isn't it to gauge is this person the person that I'm going to open up to and say,

how's your sex life? Because I haven't got one and I'm worried that I'm never going to have a sex life again. And I'm okay with that, but my partner's certainly not okay with that. So what does that mean for our relationship? And it can be really difficult, it, in terms of kind of finding your tribe of people to talk with. And I suppose that's something for peer support groups to think about, you know, is there an opportunity for people to say, right, on so-and-so date?

We're going to have a bit of a workshop on sex and intimacy and anyone who does want to talk about sex and intimacy could then come and kind of share. Because I don't know how you are with your girlfriends, but we talk a lot about sex and intimacy, especially with a glass of wine. But then it's quite frustrating when cancer's in the mix. It's almost like taboo that we then don't talk about it or that maybe the people that are that we are with.

Claire Laverty (27:11)
Yeah

Jo McNamara (27:23)
Because we don't know them well enough, it makes that conversation harder. Is that kind of something that you've experienced?

Claire Laverty (27:30)
Yeah, I would say so. So I have some really good friends and then I have some other friends that sort of have shied away from a lot of stuff after treatment as well. So I suppose you wouldn't have the same conversations with people. Yes, that makes sense.

Naman Julka-Anderson (27:57)
I kind of a nice segue, Claire, with that is when you were diagnosed, how did you find talking to your friends and family about being diagnosed with anal cancer?

Claire Laverty (28:05)
Um, I wasn't embarrassed about it at first, be totally honest. Uh, I told anybody and, uh, then after a while, and I realised, well, I had had CIN3 before and I knew that anal cancer was an HPV thing. Then afterwards I started thinking, Oh my goodness, like I'm telling all these people I've got anal cancer and they're probably thinking,

you know, what's she up at home? you know, like, you're just, don't know, like, I'd never really thought of it as being like that. And then I realised it's actually not like that because you don't, it doesn't matter, you know, what your sexual orientation is or anything. It doesn't discriminate. And it just, for the HPV related cancer, it just goes to that they, ⁓

think they call it the mucosal surface. that's why it's sort of a things like that there. I think I'm right in saying that.

Jo McNamara (29:08)
Yeah, there are so many myths and stereotypes around HPV because people think of it as a sexually transmitted disease and yes you can get it through sexual acts but that's not the only way and also it is so prevalent and I think people don't realise just how prevalent it is and some people have an immunity that they can get through HPV and not ever be affected by it,

whereas others are affected and it can then lead on to cancer. But it is really frustrating that people do link it to sexual activity and not necessarily through the fact that, you know, the statistic is quite wild when you look at it. It's like 90% of people at some stage in their life had HPV virus and you just think, wow, you know, when you say that statistic, puts it into perspective and then thinking some people are affected and some others aren't, which

is obviously why then the HPV vaccine is so important. Claire, you've got a child, would you advocate for them to have the HPV vaccine?

Claire Laverty (30:11)
100%. I actually got it myself. I don't know how I wangled that one. I had actually seen a gynaecologist over the summer and he said for persistent HPV in some countries they recommend getting the vaccine as part of your treatment. So I relayed this to my GP and

I said they were happy enough to prescribe it. So I was actually thinking I was going to have to pay for it but I know that I've already had the HPV related cancer so it may not do any good at all but at the same time if it doesn't do any harm, why not? If there's a chance that it may do a tiny bit of good then why not? But yes.

100 % my daughter will be getting the vaccine when it comes to her time. think it's next year. Actually she's 11 now.

Naman Julka-Anderson (31:12)
Claire, is there anything you would like to see change in healthcare or public awareness about anal cancer?

Claire Laverty (31:18)
From my understanding, a lot of GPs, now my own GP practice, as you've heard, are fab and there are quite a lot of people that do struggle to get appointments and then they get brushed off with it's haemorrhoids, it's haemorrhoids, but I would say especially if you've had any kind of HPV related, know, abnormal cervical cells or whatever the case may be, If you have any

bleeding from your passage or discomfort or anything, definitely get it checked out properly. Be an advocate for yourself.

Jo McNamara (31:51)
And then one thing I would say, and I've said it in one of the other podcast recordings, but be confident about checking yourself. Because like you said, you know, it's a bit awkward, but I did like put a finger in and have a feel. But that is so important because then it helps inform that GP. You know, if you hadn't have felt anything, would it be a case of going back going, I just don't think it's normal. Whereas you could actually say, no, there's a lump there. And I think that does really help.

Claire Laverty (32:02)
Yeah.

Jo McNamara (32:20)
Inform that healthcare professional to think this might be different. So yeah self-examining is so important isn't it?

Claire Laverty (32:28)
Yeah, my oncologist does tell me off about, he thinks that I sometimes would be a bit of a worrier and would be hung up on like checking myself, you know, if I bring anything to his attention, but I'm more, maybe not, obviously cancer's always going to be there in the back of my mind, don't get me wrong, but I'm maybe not

always necessarily thinking worst case scenario I'm more like if he's asking me how I am I'm going to ask him to check whatever it is is wrong but it would be more I would be looking for reassurance from him to say yes that's treatment related but you know it's a late effect but they wouldn't normally say that too often.

Naman Julka-Anderson (33:13)
I think once you've had a cancer diagnosis though you're always going to be more aware of your body forever and obviously we advocate for self-checking post-treatment if someone's had breast cancer we always try and push for that but something like this isn't something we always talk about so I think exactly as Jo's kind of alluded to and what you're doing and what you have been doing that's exactly as what we kind of want so you know a tick from our side I guess as healthcare professionals.

Claire Laverty (33:17)
you

Mm-hmm.

Naman Julka-Anderson (33:42)
We're coming to the end of the episode. We always like to end with top tips. Do you have any top tips for our listeners?

Claire Laverty (33:48)
Yeah, well, my top tips definitely would be to advocate for yourself if you have any concerns and you're worried about them. Definitely push. I was lucky enough I didn't have to push too much with my doctor, but I am so thankful that I even pushed at the colonoscopy for them to have another look because she was near removing the scope without

seeing the actual cancer. So yes, definitely. if you have any doubts, don't be afraid to go and get a second opinion, even if it means you might offend the GP or a doctor or consultant or something. Definitely.

Naman Julka-Anderson (34:28)
Amazing. Thank you so much for coming on Claire. It's been really, really nice to have you on and hear about your experience.

Claire Laverty (34:33)
Thank you very much.

Naman Julka-Anderson (34:34)
Thank you all for listening to Rad Chat with me, Naman Julka-Anderson and Jo McNamara. Our next guest to feature in the series will be Ms. Tamsin Cumming talking about anal cancer diagnosis, anal intraepithelial neoplasia and her incredible role as a consultant colorectal surgeon. Thanks all for listening and take care.

Naman Julka-Anderson (34:51)
You can use this episode as part of our free, continual professional development, accredited content, which offers flexible learning that fits your busy schedule. Just check out the show notes for the reflective questions, links to literature and resources, and a link to complete the form to receive your accredited certificate.

Jo McNamara Rad Chat Host (35:07)
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Naman Julka-Anderson (35:17)
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Jo McNamara Rad Chat Host (35:36)
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Naman Julka-Anderson (35:52)
If you like what we're doing, buy us a coffee, keep us caffeinated, go to our website to find out more. Thank you all for listening and take care.