World Cancer Day 2022: “WE THOUGHT I WAS HAVING NIGHTMARES. IT TURNED OUT TO BE A BRAIN TUMOUR”

Posted 4th February 2022

A young woman who began having what she thought were nightmares in her sleep, ended up being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Catherine Cassidy, 32, from Isle of Man, was asked by her partner Jim if she had been having nightmares. “I thought I’d been sleeping well, as I didn’t recall having any nightmares,” Catherine explains. “But he said I’d been shouting and shaking in my sleep, which sounded like I’d had a really bad dream.”

When the nightmare-like episodes kept happening, Catherine arranged a call with her GP who initially diagnosed her with Epilepsy.

As they became more frequent, she was booked for an MRI, this is when it was discovered that Catherine had a type of brain tumour called an Anaplastic Astrocytoma. Catherine says: “My diagnosis was a complete shock. Owing to COVID lockdown restrictions, telling my parents over Facetime was very difficult.”

Catherine had brain surgery to remove the tumour, in a successful operation lasting around eight hours. Following her surgery, Catherine spent three months in Liverpool receiving intensive radiotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre’s new hospital in the city centre.

“I received 36 rounds of radiotherapy from the team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. The team were amazing and made a very strange situation that bit more bearable.”

Through her diagnosis and treatment, Catherine has been able to discover some positives – including a new friendship. She says: “We’re a close-knit community on the Isle of Man and lots of people know each other. I met Pamela through mutual friends. She was receiving treatment for leukaemia at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, just after my radiotherapy finished and we’ve been in touch throughout our journeys.

“It was amazing to chat to someone going through a similar experience to me and being from the same area, we had a lot in common.”

Both women are now back on the Isle of Man and have enjoyed lunch dates together.

Catherine is still receiving treatment from The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, however the treatment comes in the form of chemotherapy tablets taken at home.

“These tablets should get rid of any potentially dangerous cells and my last dose is in February so I’m looking forward to finishing them and getting my life back on track. I am positive about the whole situation; it takes far more energy to be negative so I try and push ahead the best I can.” explains Catherine.

Catherine has spoken of her experience ahead of World Cancer Day on Friday 4^th February – an international awareness day which aims to shine a light on the signs and symptoms of cancer, as well as spread the message that everyone deserves fair and equitable cancer treatment, regardless of who they are or where they live.

Jill Sokratous is a Neuro Oncology Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust. She said: “The theme for World Cancer Day 2022 is ‘closing the care gap’. Catherine is a great example of how geography shouldn’t be a barrier to receiving excellent cancer care.

“Not only was she able to access the care she needed, but provisions have been made to allow her to continue to receive her chemotherapy treatment back in the Isle of Man as well as ongoing neuro oncology specialist support, which is available to all patients with a brain tumour diagnosis.”

“I would encourage anyone with symptoms they are concerned about to contact their GP. The care and support you need will be available to you, regardless of where you live.”