Jane is a patient of the breast cancer service in Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre. Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022 and here she shares her story and important message:

“My name is Jane, I was diagnosed with breast cancer aged 46 and I’m telling you my story because I want you to know that you should see your GP if you notice any changes to your breast. Breast Cancer does not always mean finding a lump or detection by mammogram. I first noticed a small rash near my right nipple in September 2022. My GP thought it could be eczema, I’ve never had any skin complaints and when it didn’t improve she promptly referred me to the Breast Cancer Rapid Access Clinic in Beaumont Hospital.

When I first came to the clinic I met Professor Hill’s team, I was examined and quickly had a mammogram and ultrasound on that same day. Nothing showed up on these, given my age and the fact that I had no other symptoms and have no family history of breast cancer I felt very reassured. However, the importance of following up was impressed upon me. I was prescribed a steroid cream and given a follow-up appointment. Even though the rash improved it didn’t go away and so, after a further observation period, the team advised me to have a biopsy. This made me feel confident that all avenues were being fully investigated, I felt assured that I was ‘in the system’ and the team would soon have an explanation for the rash.

I was given the results of my biopsy in clinic and I was shocked to learn that my diagnosis was Paget’s Disease (which I had never heard of) with Breast Cancer (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma ER+, PR+, HER2+). At that same appointment I was given a clear plan for the initial treatment based on the histopathology report.  I learned about the MDT meetings and it was helpful for me to know that I was already scheduled for an MRI, which was followed by wire guided ultrasound and then a wide local excision of the area.

I recovered quickly from the Wide Local Excision and removal of sentinel nodes, which were clear of cancer, but the results of this and further MDT discussion helped me understand that there was a very small focus of invasive breast cancer in 3 parts of my breast which had proven difficult to locate by imagery and ultimately I decided with my team the best treatment for me was to proceed with a double mastectomy with immediate DIEP flap reconstruction which was scheduled within weeks. At all stages I felt hugely supported by the team in Beaumont in learning about my own diagnosis and was well informed about all decisions and options before and after my surgery and results. I was encouraged to ask questions. I took a lot of notes and benefitted from the MDT process and in-person consultations with familiar and very kind faces. I felt that a team of highly experienced and specialised experts contributed to my diagnosis and treatment plan.

My mastectomy and reconstruction in May was very successful. I have since undergone a course of Chemotherapy under Professor Patrick Morris and will continue with Herceptin treatment for a further period of time. With the support of my employer I am back to full time work.

I’m a survivor of breast Cancer. My message to others is to prioritise your own well-being and contact your GP if you notice any changes to your breast. It really is the most important form of self-care. I had no lump or other symptoms, no family history and would not be called to BreastCheck until 2026, yet I had breast cancer.

I have benefitted hugely from the knowledge and experience of Professor Hill’s team and will always be grateful to them and also to my husband Dan who encouraged me to see the GP initially and is always in my corner”

Breast Cancer Nursing Team

Anne Staunton, Breast Care Nurse: “I was Jane’s Breast Care Nurse, I am one of the six clinical Nurse Specialists in Breast Care and we meet our patients in the Triple Assessment clinics (TAC) and the review clinics.  My role was to be there for Jane at the time of her diagnosis and throughout her patient journey in Beaumont.  As with all my patients I provided Jane with my contact details so she could phone me directly with any questions about her diagnosis and treatment plan I could make sure she had all the information and support she needed”.

“All patients with cancer have their case discussed at a multidisciplinary meeting, these are held every week with Surgeons, Medical and Radiation Oncologists, Pathology and Radiology Consultants and the Nursing Team. Results of scans and pathology are discussed so that the best possible diagnostic or treatment options for patients can be made by the whole team. The results of these meetings were explained to Jane in clinic to help her make decisions about her treatment”

Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre Breast Cancer Team

The Haematology Department in Beaumont looks after patients with blood cancers and other blood disorders. There is one Advanced Nurse Practitioner and five Clinical Nurse Specialists and we work with seven Haematology Consultants, their non consultant hospital doctors and a wide multidisciplinary team to support patients that come to our service either in St Teresa’s Haematology Inpatient Unit and the Coleman K. Byrne Haematology Day Unit.

St Teresa’s has fourteen individual isolation HEPA- filtered rooms and the Coleman K. Byrne Day unit has three consultation/procedure rooms and nine treatment chairs. We see and treat up to 45 patients every day and also have five outpatient clinics every week.

Throughout these areas, our team diagnose, manage, monitor and support haematology patients with a range of conditions by providing chemotherapy, immunotherapies, transplants and supportive treatments.

Particular areas of focus for Haematology CNS include:

• Transplant (autologous and allogeneic)
• Patient education regarding diagnosis and treatment
• Linking patients with other members of the multidisciplinary team where this is needed e.g. social work, physiotherapy.
• Support our patients throughout their diagnosis and treatment
• Teaching other staff
• Being a link for patients that need help and advice through the Telephone Triage service

A Bit About Us!

Aoife Mc Cormack                                                                     Frances Martin We are Clinical Nurse Specialists and our role is to coordinate bone marrow transplants. The cell treatments that are available to our patients at present are autologous stem cell, allogeneic stem cell and CAR T cell therapies. Autologous stem cell transplants are used as treatment in patients with multiple myeloma, amyloidosis and lymphoma. It is a process where once the patient’s condition is under control, we stimulate their bone marrow to produce stem cells and harvest them peripherally. The patient then receives these cells back as a form of rescue following high doses of chemotherapy with the aim of achieving a deeper/prolonged remission. Allogenic stem cell transplants are used as treatment for various forms of leukaemia and lymphoma. This involves the patient receiving high doses of chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy to weaken their bone marrow, following that they receive stem cells which have been harvested from a matched donor. The aim is to replace the patient’s defective marrow with the donor cells to achieve remission. Car T cell therapies are a relatively new form of treatment for the past 2 years in Ireland, where in the patients T cells are harvested, modified in a laboratory to make the patients cancer cell their new target, and then reinfused to the patient following chemotherapy. Currently it is available to particular lymphoma and leukaemia groups in Ireland but is being used to treat a variety of haematological conditions worldwide. We liaise with external referring hospitals, notably Our lady of Lourdes hospital, Connolly hospital and Blackrock Health at the Hermitage Clinic, to facilitate these treatments in conjunction with St James hospital stem cell transplantation service

Laura Mc Kiernan I am a Clinical Nurse Specialist and I support and educate patients with a newly diagnosed or relapsed blood cancer. I meet patients after receiving their diagnosis and before they start treatment in the inpatient or outpatient setting. I help my patients to understand their medications, prepare them for treatment side effects and provide advice on symptom management.

Marie Clare Mc Evoy

I am a Clinical Nurse Specialist and my role is to manage the Telephone Triage service which is for Haematology patients on active Systemic Anti-Cancer Therapy (SACT) and other haematology patients. I started in this role, which was set up in response to the COVID-19 pandemic to decrease hospital/ED attendance for our patients, in 2020. We have successfully introduced the UK Oncology Nurses Society (UKONS) telephone triage tool to grade symptoms and side effects of treatment, and direct the care of patients who are unwell at home. Advice is then given to patients on how to proceed. This may just be general advice and support or to go to their GP or local Emergency Department. All patients receive education regarding the importance of reporting disease symptoms and side effects of treatment to the contact numbers. The service is available 24/7 365 days a year. Out of hours is provided by St. Teresa’s haematology inpatient ward and CKB haematology day unit alongside the Haematology and Oncology medical on-call team. I follow up all calls the next working day either by phone or in person if the patient has been admitted.

Avril Furey

The main focus of my role as Haematology CNS is on early detection and survivorship in patients with haematological malignancies. Early detection of blood cancers leads to improved patient survival and access to services for diagnosis within Beaumont Hospital. This role will improve the patient journey from the community to cancer diagnosis, and facilitate the early detection of new cancers and relapsed cancers. It will also facilitate the development of a survivorship service to meet the increasing needs of patients who live longer on novel therapies. An important aspect of survivorship is effective patient education which lays the foundation for a better patient journey.

Rachel Fox

I have been in post as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP) in haematology since 2018, and provide a complete episode of care to patients’ with Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPN’s) and many other blood cancers attending CKB haematology day unit and the outpatient haematology service.  As an ANP I provide an outpatient service for patients’ with stable blood cancers to facilitate comprehensive review, assessment, diagnosis, investigation and treatment, as well as striving to meet social and psychological care needs. This service is delivered with the oversight of the Consultant Haematology team, considering international best practice guidelines and evidence based research applied to the patient review process, whilst providing a timely, safe and effective service. I work autonomously with medical and nursing teams, with focus on improving patient care and patient satisfaction, contributing to the continuous improvement of the quality of care experienced by patients and their families.

I believe promoting patient centered care, educating patients’ locally and nationally on disease specific issues, and linking with appropriate patient advocacy groups and community services, are core to effective chronic disease self-management for patients at home with haematological malignancy.

Ireland has one of the highest incidence of skin cancer and with 13,000 cases a year it is the most common cancer in Ireland.

Skin Cancer awareness for children and their parents is essential as they are likely to be outside for long periods of time, especially in warmer weather. Children’s skin is very sensitive to UV rays from the sun, and sunburn during childhood increases the risk of getting skin cancer as an adult. We used the HSE’s NCCP and Healthy Ireland Sun Smart picture that helps parents to pass on the “SLIP, SLOP, SLAP, SEEK, SLIDE” message to their children.

Although many people believe skin damage only happens when the sun is out UV rays are present all year round. UV rays intensity varies depending on time of year and are strongest typically from April to September between the hours of 11am to 3pm. You can check the UV index for the day by watching the weather forecast on television or online at the Irish Meteorological Service. Click Here

At Beaumont RCSI cancer Centre our aim is to promote the prevention and early detection of cancer through education and awareness events all year round.

May is skin cancer awareness month and our Skin Cancer Nursing Team have been busy raising awareness through a number of events on how to be SUN SMART.

Information stands in collaboration with the Irish Cancer Society and the Irish Skin Foundation engaged over 800 people in May. This essential work by dedicated specialists helps us to circulate the all-important message that “Prevention is better than Cure”. You can find out more about preventing skin cancer at:

The Irish Cancer Society Click Here

The Irish Skin Foundation Click Here

Today is European Cancer Nursing Day and we are celebrating the fantastic contribution that nurses caring for our Cancer patients make in Beaumont RCSI Cancer Centre. This year’s theme is all about pioneering new approaches in cancer care through nursing innovation. Meet some of the cancer nurses involved in this in our Cancer Centre.

Emma Devoy Flood is a CNS in Head and Neck Cancer that is currently undertaking research with the RCSI to improve quality of life through the introduction of an e-support tool.

“Improving cancer nurse education improves cancer care.” Aine Byrne in the Centre of Education and Annmarie Elliot CPSN are involved in running level 9 post graduate oncology/haematology programmes with the RCSI, in addition to education programmes on Psycho-Oncology and SACT administration with the NCCP. Every year nurses are supported to attend ESO-EONS nursing masterclasses.

“Cancer Nurses have a key role in cancer prevention in Europe” The Cancer Centre has an annual calendar of cancer awareness and prevention events for staff, patients and the public.

Nurses throughout our cancer centre caring for patients with cancer are committed to delivering evidence-based personalised care that puts patients and their families at the heart of cancer care.