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Written by a patient
27th August 2018


The first Saturday in January this year I found a lump in my left breast. I was referred by my GP to the Breast Clinic at George Eliot Hospital for initial tests which, bizarrely, was the day after my youngest sister had her last radiotherapy session in her treatment for breast cancer. I was subsequently diagnosed with triple negative cancer which was the same as my sisters. Being told you have breast cancer is scary. You find a lump and the diagnosis as to whether you have cancer is 50 : 50. Despite knowing that my sister had come through treatment well, and looked amazing in the process, there was no getting away from the fact that there are victims ... was I going to be one of them? I met Mr Basu and my Macmillan Clinical Nurse Specialist four days after my diagnosis and found that he was the total opposite of what I imagined a surgeon would be. He was warm and showed a remarkable compassion for what is predominately a female problem. He explained the different types of breast cancer, what triple negative cancer was and the most effective treatment for it which, in my case, was chemotherapy, a mastectomy and radiotherapy. With my paternal aunt having mastectomies at 37 and 50, my sister having been diagnosed at 43 and myself being 51 at diagnosis he felt it was worth referring me to the Genetics Service since the result of a gene test could influence my surgery. My sister and I had our test and I turned out to have the PALB2 gene alteration. Upon receiving this result I had a meeting with Mr Basu who listened to my feelings about the result/risk reducing surgery before giving his opinion. He then spent time explaining what types of reconstruction were available, the pros and cons of each and what he felt would suit me best. I had bilateral mastectomies, opted for reconstruction with implants and had a sentinel node biopsy at the end of June. Although my recovery is ongoing surgery was fine and certainly nowhere near as uncomfortable as I thought it would be. We had a bit of a scare when the node biopsy came back with 3 of the 4 nodes taken showing signs of disease so a CT scan was arranged. Fortunately there was no spread but an axillary clearance was needed which was done the end of July and I’m healing well. There are no words to express my gratitude to Mr Basu. He is an incredibly gifted surgeon who is approachable, respects and, most importantly, listens to his patient. He takes time to explain things clearly and doesn’t mind answering any questions long after you have left him. Receiving a cancer diagnosis is immense but I consider myself incredibly lucky. I found the lump early, came through chemotherapy with no problems, found out I had a gene alteration and had the luxury of making an informed choice regarding risk reducing surgery. I have had bilateral mastectomies and an axillary clearance and, although I have radiotherapy to come, I doubt I would’ve been able to remain so positive had it not been for having confidence that my surgeon would do his best for me. Mr Basu and his team are exceptional ... they are incredibly supportive and have made the last 7 months relatively easy for both myself and my husband. Thank you so very much Mr Basu ... you are an absolute hero and I’m truly blessed to be in your care!

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