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Treatment leap enabling cancer patient to 'thrive'

Chris Craddock
BBC Jersey communities reporter
BBC Donna looks at the camera as she sits on a blue sofa. She has a black jumper on and a head scarf with floral patterns on it. She has dark brown hair which comes down to her shoulders. Behind her on the wall is a painted flower pot with pink flowers inside.BBC
Donna wants more people to know about advances into treatments enabled by CRUK research and funding

A Jersey cancer patient, who vowed against treatment after the side effects her late mother endured, has said her advanced radiotherapy has been much less debilitating.

Donna Crous said her mother Carol died in 2010 after "really, really harsh" treatment which led to pain and discomfort from the radiotherapy techniques available at the time.

Since being diagnosed with breast cancer, Ms Crous has undergone precision radiotherapy in London called stereotactic ablative body radiotherapy (SABR) involving fewer rounds of treatment and bringing fewer side effects.

Ms Crous said: "I'm definitely thriving and life is carrying on for me."

Donna Crous This is an old photo of Donna and her mum Carol. Donna is on the left with dark curly hair which comes down to her shoulders. She is wearing a black dress. Carol has a blue dress on and has shorter dark brown hair which is tied up into a bun.Donna Crous
Donna Crous (left) did not want cancer treatment after the side effects her mum Carol experienced before she died in 2010

Ms Crous has joined a campaign by Cancer Research UK (CRUK) to highlight the importance of research and development into these treatments and to raise money to cover funding costs.

According to the charity, radiotherapy is used to treat more than 140,000 people every year in the UK with various forms of cancer.

After she was diagnosed in 2019, Ms Crous underwent surgery and radiotherapy.

When she moved from Surrey to Jersey, doctors discovered the cancer had spread and she subsequently underwent five sessions of SABR.

'New normal'

Much of Ms Crous's treatment has taken place in Jersey but she has gone to England for radiotherapy and six-monthly PET scans.

She said "it was interesting because it was almost uneventful" as she was put in "this massive machine buzzing around me and it didn't feel like anything".

"After about a week or two of side effects, I'm absolutely better and I like to say I'm a thriver, not a survivor so I'm definitely thriving and life is carrying on for me," she added.

"Although the side effects can be hard – and every patient experiences these differently – it's only for a period of time, and then you find a new normal."

CRUK Donna smiles at the camera as she's linked to an oncology machine which is providing her treatment. She is wearing a black turtle neck jumper. Her hair is tied back into a ponytail and she has her glasses on her forehead.CRUK
Donna hopes more cancer patients will be able to benefit from better treatments

CRUK's science engagement leader Dr Samuel Godfrey said "radiotherapy started out very, very blunt instrument which had an awful lot of side effects" and then in the 1980s and 1990s CRUK "did a huge push to get radiotherapy to a more modern treatment" which had fewer side effects for patients.

After progression slowed, in the last six years the charity invested £67 million in a programme called RadNet to develop new treatments and technologies.

Dr Godfrey added: "We're now beginning to see is some real leaps forward in radiotherapy and the types of things we're hoping to do are almost like science fiction.

"They really sort of pave the path to where cancer will be a more manageable disease."

Rubin looks at the camera as he sits next to his work desk where a computer showing scan. He is wearing a pink striped shirt and has a rectangular glasses on. Rubin has short black hair.
Consultant clinical oncologist Dr Rubin Soomal recommended Ms Crous for the new treatment

Consultant clinical oncologist Dr Rubin Soomal recommended Ms Crous for the SABR treatment and is helping provide her maintenance treatments in Jersey.

He said: "The biggest benefit is that this is an option that wasn't available freely even 10 or 15 years ago", and described SABR as "a huge advance".

Dr Soomal said it was "really rewarding to see that treatment happen with little or no side effects" and "it's quite incredible what has happened".

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