Jersey woman is a 'cancer thriver' thanks to cancer research funding

Donna Crous, who has incurable breast cancer, is backing a Cancer Research UK campaign to help fund more big breakthroughs in treatment.

Donna (52) is living with the disease and undergoing a type of precision radiotherapy that means her side effects have been minimal.

She is now supporting a Cancer Research UK campaign to support regular donations that can ensure advancements in techniques and technologies that can change more lives.

Donna struggled watching her own mum, Carol, go through treatment and its harsh side effects, but when she was diagnosed herself, her experience was a lot more positive. 

She has benefitted from a type of precision radiotherapy called SABR - stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy - which emits a large dose of radiation targeted directly to the tumour - meaning there’s more chance the tumour cells will die, and spares healthy tissue.

It also means patients can finish treatment with SABR quicker than conventional radiotherapy – sometimes within a week and usually in two, with less hospital visits.

Donna's treatment is keeping her living her life after diagnosis

Donna spoke to Channel 103 about her story:

"When I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer, coming up for six years ago (while living in the UK), I had a bilateral lumpectomy and 20 rounds of radiation therapy, and was then put on to hormone therapy and told that everything would be was clear, and then I could go ahead and carry on living my life as normal, which I did.

However, Donna continued to feel unwell.

"I was told that it was just probably the after-effects of all my treatment that I'd received for the primary breast cancer, and that I was still okay.

"Within a couple of days of arriving in Jersey, I went to a GP and he immediately referred me for further scans to a breast cancer consultant.

It was discovered that I actually had what's called secondary breast cancer - which is when breast cancer cells move from the primary site to other areas of the body.

"In my case, it had moved to seven sites within my bones. So I was immediately referred to oncology, and treatment started from there.

"My mum passed away from cancer in 2010, it was very difficult to be involved with, because a lot of her quality of life was lost to the side-effects of her treatments."

Donna receiving treatment

"When I received the diagnosis myself nine years later, I was really, really concerned about having treatment and the side effects.

"All cancers are different, and therefore the treatments are different.

"In my case, the treatments have been a lot easier to manage - the side effects have been easier to manage and tolerate, and certainly the whole experience for me has been very different to what I saw my mum going through, and that is due to new types of treatment.

"There definitely have been advances in radiation therapy and treatments in general.  Even over the last 15 years from her diagnosis to mine, the treatments options are very different.

"I'm on treatment for the for the rest of my life, called the first line treatment. I've been on this for nearly four years, and my treatments, my side effects, are really minimal, very much liveable, and because of that, I've been able to continue life as normal.

"I feel like a cancer thriver, and a lot of people, when they meet me, they have no idea that I have cancer."

"I'm able to do all sorts of things. I've been ab-sailing. I've been ziplining through the rainforests in St Lucia. I've been I do a lot of traveling on a regular basis, and my life has pretty much stayed as normal thanks to the current treatments that are available."

"I remember hearing the words 'stage four' and the fear just absolutely overwhelmed me, and at the time, I was utterly terrified.

"But you know, nearly four years down the line, I've had a pretty normal time in my four years."

"Yes, I have really bad days, but I also have really good days. Some some days my fatigue takes over, or bone pain takes over, and I have to spend the day in bed. But then there's other days I'm able to get out and ride and walk my dog on the beach and do normal things that normal people would do.

"I have my blood tests in Jersey. I have my CT and my MRIs done in Jersey. And then my recent radiation therapy that I had, I had a new form of radiation therapy called SABR, and that was done in London last January.. And then every six months or so, I'll have a PET scan in the UK.

Donna wants people to see how funding cancer research makes a real-life difference.

"Almost all of my treatments, are done in Jersey, but for my SABR treatment, I had to go over (to the UK) and it was only 10 days, whereas my previous radiation therapy was 20 days. So this was a lot less time that I had to spend in the UK, and it was every second day.

"So there were only five sessions of treatment that I actually had. It's pretty non invasive and very much very doable, very minimal side effects as well. I was able to catch up with family in the evenings and go out and do things in the evenings after my treatment.

"I'm such a testament to the leaps and bounds that research has come on to help when people are going through it their quality of life, even whilst they going through treatments.

"There's so much more research on so much much treatment that still needs to be done."

"There's always new stuff in coming out and becoming available to cancer patients. So that is why there is such a demand for funding for the research, because even as Jersey residents, we really benefit from all the new research that's coming out through Cancer Research UK.

"I think a lot of people are concerned whether Jersey residents actually benefit from it.

"Of course, we all benefit from cancer research and new technology and new medications - things that can still come out in the years to come."

Donna hopes her story encourages people to donate to Cancer Research UK after seeing the real-life difference research can make. 

Race For Life Jersey takes place of the 25 May, and there are other fundraisers in Jersey for the charity, as well as their shop in St Helier collecting proceeds.