Blog

Oncologist explains the subtle signs of ‘silent killer’ ovarian cancer

Each year in Ireland, over 600 new cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed and around 400 women die from this type of cancer annually.

There’s still a lot of misconceptions about ovarian cancer, such as women mistakenly believing cervical screening will prevent or detect it – it doesn’t. This is why it’s so important for women to be aware of the symptoms of ovarian cancer, and to not ignore them.

Remember the most common symptoms: BEAT, which stands for:

  • Bloating that doesn’t go away
  • Eating and feeling fuller earlier
  • Abdominal or pelvic pain
  • Toilet – changes to your toilet habits that are new (passing urine or bowel issues)

Check out: http://www.ovacare.ie + http://www.thisisgo.ie

https://www.rsvplive.ie/life/health/oncologist-explains-subtle-signs-silent-35541253?utm_source=linkCopy&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar

Remember when food tasted like food?

“My beautiful burger tasted disgustingly metallic. It was inedible. It was so awful, I scraped the rest of it right into the trash. But that was only the first of many formerly favourite foods that have ended up in the trash lately”

This phenomenon is what’s known as chemo mouth or metal mouth, according to pharmacist Dr. Jessica Caporuscio. She explains that unpleasant  side effects – including these taste alterations – are unfortunately common during cancer treatments.

This bizarre side effect occurs because cancer treatments can activate certain receptors in the mouth or tongue that cause this metallic reaction.

While it can be distressing, the metallic taste and other taste changes usually resolve after treatment is complete.

Remember when food tasted like food?

Lynch Syndrome UK (mob App)

A dedicated Lynch Syndrome app for carriers of LS co-developed by LS UK.

Carriers of this condition can often struggle to access timely information advice.

This digital aid can be helpful to participate directly to prevent complications and personalise their health and well-being plans.

“The Last Thing I Expected at This Age”

New Book by Digestive Cancers Europe.

It shares the personal stories of 15 young adults(including Pamela from Ireland) diagnosed with digestive cancer. Many of them faced misdiagnoses simply because of their age.

https://ebooks.digestivecancers.eu/books/nywv/#p=1

A ‘right to be forgotten’ in insurance policies

THE GOVERNMENT IS planning to legislate to prevent insurance companies from using cancer survivors’ medical history against them.

A ‘right to be forgotten’ in insurance policies has been called for by cancer survivors, their families and campaigners for years, who have long argued that it is unfair for insurance companies to take cancer diagnoses into account years after a person has entered remission.

In 2023, Insurance Ireland announced a new code of practice that outlined that insurers should disregard cancer diagnoses where treatment had ended more than seven years before an application.

The Irish Cancer Society said at the time that the move was an important first step but that the government needed to step in to create legislation on the matter.

The ‘Right to be Forgotten’ for cancer survivors

Lynch Syndrome – Cascade Testing

Cascade testing refers to testing “at-risk” family members for a gene mutation, once the mutation has been found in a family member.

For Lynch syndrome, once family members get cascade testing, they can also benefit from screening, cancer prevention, and early detection strategies.

So if a family member has Lynch syndrome

You can ask your GP to refer you to a cancer genetics service.

Family members who can get a test include:

  • parents
  • brothers or sisters
  • children age 18 and over

Ask your relative for a copy of their Lynch syndrome test result or a letter you can bring to your GP appointment – if they have one.

If you get a Lynch syndrome diagnosis, your relatives can ask their GP to refer them to a cancer genetics service. This is known as cascade testing. It is also known as predictive testing.

Lynch syndrome test results can help your healthcare team:

Prostate Cancer-Impact study

Dr Liz Bancroft Lynch Syndrome Annual Conference 2025

an international research initiative investigating targeted prostate cancer (PrCa) screening in men with inherited genetic mutations, specifically those in the BRCA1, BRCA2, and Lynch syndrome genes. The study aims to determine the effectiveness of PSA screening in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer in these high-risk individuals and to compare the findings with a control group of men without the mutations.