Darent Valley Hospital grabs opportunity to buy new cancer testing technology

RESTORING people's health and returning them to their daily lives as soon as possible is a major goal following any surgery.

So the opportunity to purchase a new technology that will do just that is one that has been grabbed by Darent Valley Hopsital.

The hospital needs to raise £71,640 to buy One Step Nucleic acid Amplification (OSNA) – hi-tech equipment that can detect if cancer cells have spread.

If it is successful, it will be the first hospital in Kent to offer the service.

OSNA works by testing lymph nodes taken from the patient’s armpit during surgery that is already taking place to remove tumours in their breast.

If the nodes are found to be cancerous, further surgery can be carried out to remove them all at the same time.

The beauty of it is that only one procedure is needed.

Breast surgeon at the hospital, Seema Seetharam said: “Having to wait for results is obviously very stressful and disruptive for patients especially as they will be recovering from the first episode of surgery.

“To then find out that further surgery is necessary is very traumatic and upsetting for patients.

“The benefits of this technology include a faster diagnosis and subsequent delivery of appropriate treatment as well as a reduced overall hospital stay and a less stressful experience for the patient.”

The hospital’s Cancer Fighting Fund is holding sponsored walk event Stride For Life on July 8 to raise funds for the equipment.

For more information or to download a registration form, visit dvh.nhs.uk or call 01322 428392.

Emma Sheean's story

Emma Sheean was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer last September when she noticed a change in shape in her left breast.

The 39-year-old, who has two children, 9-year-old Lewis and 3-year-old Sophie with husband David, is still being treated.

She said: “The doctors diagnosed the cancer as aggressive because it had already spread to my left armpit.

“I had to have six cycles of chemotherapy first which blasts the whole body and stops it from spreading to other organs, as well as six weeks of radiotherapy.

“In February, I had a mastectomy to remove the tumour and cells that had spread, followed by reconstructive surgery.”

Mrs Sheean, who still has to attend Darent Valley every three weeks for medication, says her ordeal has had a massive effect on her family.

She said: “I’ve got no history of breast cancer. It’s had a devastating impact.

“Sophie is too young to understand but she noticed my appearance had changed- I lost all my hair within three weeks. “Lewis is a lot more mature and we made the choice to talk him through everything.”

Despite being told the surgery had been successful in removing all the cancerous cells, Mrs Sheean says she would have benefitted from OSNA when being tested at diagnosis.

She added: “Waiting for results is one of the most stressful experiences I have encountered along the way and if the OSNA helps eliminate some of this stress then I wholeheartedly support the hospital’s fundraising efforts.”

Denise Tigg's story

DENISE Tigg has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice, once back in 2006 and again in 2010.

The 42-year-old of Heath Road, Dartford said: “In 2006, I was diagnosed with cancer in my left breast.

"The first time, I had to have a mastectomy and had to have reconstructive surgery.

“I got an infection after the mastectomy. “It was a lot harder the second time.

“In 2010, I got it in my right breast.

“I’m clear in my left breast but I haven’t made five years in my right.”

The mother-of-two added: “I was one of the lucky ones who did not have to have the cancer out again, but it was a worrying and stressful time.”