A Co Down man has opened up on being diagnosed with a less survivable form of cancer just over a year ago which led to months of gruelling treatment which included having his stomach removed.
Dad-of-three Paul Marshall was speaking as new data reveals that more than half (62%) of people in Northern Ireland diagnosed with a cancer of the lung, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas or stomach will die from their disease within one year.
The 60-year-old from Bangor was diagnosed with stomach cancer just four days before Christmas in December 2023 after experiencing a range of symptoms for around a year.
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Stomach cancer is a slow growing and silent form of disease with no screening mechanism while the symptoms tend to be non-specific. Despite the disease being advanced by that stage, Paul, who works in photo/video/3D and virtual design, says he was fortunate that his cancer was diagnosed before it had spread more widely.
"Sadly, most stomach cancers are found too late for ‘cure’ because they have spread beyond the original tumour. This happens because the early symptoms are non-specific and easily disregarded as less serious stomach upsets. By the time it becomes obvious, it is too late,” he explained.
"My ‘good fortune’ was that I was diagnosed early enough for treatment and surgery to be a pathway when only one in five stomach cancers are identified early enough for curative options to be available, which is a tragedy. Statistically the vulnerable group are men aged 55+ with lifestyle components that increase risk such as smoking, lack of exercise and poor diet.
"I've spent the year since diagnosis receiving chemotherapy and having my stomach surgically removed at the Cancer Centre at Belfast City Hospital in May 2024 and recovering from the physical and emotional trauma. The impacts of the treatments have been and continue to be very challenging, between early weight loss and having had my stomach removed I went from weighing 80kg to 55kg."
Paul is now urging others experiencing any symptoms that are out of the ordinary to get checked without delay: “After ignoring persistent symptoms, I am cancer-free today because I eventually went to the doctor. If my symptoms had faded, I would have forgotten about them until it was too late. I now know that acting swiftly and not ignoring persistent issues in the stomach area is life-saving. Yes I am greatly weakened but I'm alive, without cancer, have been wrapped in love and feel grateful to be still here.
“The physical and emotional toll has been, and remains, enormous. Yes I won the war but now I’m struggling to come to terms with the life changing physical legacy that is the ‘peace’ and overshadowed by the knowledge that the cancer may return. I remain grateful however because every challenge met today means I have a dawn tomorrow. Giving up has never been an option but it’s not an easy path.”
As a result of his experience, Paul created Bodyshots, an art exhibition about stomach cancer and how resilience, community and love were important factors for him in facing the disease. It used images of Paul’s healed scar and weight loss to illustrate the impact of the various assaults on his body during the 12 months from diagnosis to completing treatment. Alongside the images were a selection of messages exchanged with friends and loved ones during that time.
Paul bravely shared his story as data released by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce today shows that more than half (62%) of people in NI diagnosed with a cancer of the lung, liver, brain, oesophagus, pancreas or stomach will die from their disease within one year.
The new analysis, released today by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce of existing cancer registry data shows that the average one year survival for a patient diagnosed with a less survivable cancer in NI is just 38%. This contrasts sharply with the overall one-year survival rate here for all cancers, which is 73%.
Over 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of the less survivable cancers in the UK every year and they account for nearly half of all common cancer deaths. These cancers are overwhelmingly diagnosed at later stages compared to other cancers. Only 28% of patients are diagnosed at stage 1 or 2, compared to 54% for all cancers. This late-stage diagnosis limits the potential for treatments that could significantly improve survival rates.
Despite their prevalence, the less survivable cancers receive a fraction (16.6%) of research funding of more survivable cancers.
Formed by charities supporting patients, the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce is calling for government-level commitments to prioritise early detection, research funding and the development of new treatment options for these cancers with the aim of reducing the stark inequalities in prognosis.
Anna Jewell, Chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, said the reality that more than half of people diagnosed with a less survivable cancer will not survive beyond a year is simply unacceptable.
She added: “It is essential that all UK governments take immediate steps to develop and implement national action plans dedicated to less survivable cancers to improve the outcomes for patients with these devastating diseases. We can change the narrative and improve one year survival by setting specific targets, prioritising early diagnosis and improving treatment pathways to give every patient a fighting chance.”
The Department of Health has been approached for comment.
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