Nurse raises awareness of ovarian cancer after being diagnosed with disease | Latest news

A Nottingham nurse is raising awareness of ovarian cancer after being diagnosed with the disease during the pandemic.

Rolyn Alvarado, a cancer nurse at Spire Hospital, had a 10cm mass removed by surgeons during a 10-hour operation and has now received the all-clear after six rounds of chemotherapy.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women and carries a high mortality rate especially if diagnosed late.

Rolyn now wants to raise awareness of the disease and praised Nottingham University Hospitals Trust – where she received her treatment.

The hospital has recently has been awarded the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology (EGSO) certification for advanced ovarian cancer surgery.

Rolyn said: “I had symptoms similar to period pain in October 2020 and a really intense pain on my left side.

“I could feel a lump and realised this isn’t your usual pain. I was generally well and I eat healthily, it came out of nowhere.

“They organised for me to have a scan straight away. It happened so quickly.

“As a nurse I deal with patients having treatment, and for that to happen to me, it was so sudden."

Rolyn said that despite the pandemic, she felt “so lucky” that her treatment was pushed through so quickly.

She said: “The pelvic scan and the CT scan showed a 10cm mass. They took a tissue sample and confirmed it was cervical cancer.

“One minute things are fine, the next day they're not. It has changed my quality of life.”

Rolyn had a 10-hour operation to remove the mass in November 2020.

Rolyn spent three weeks in hospital before she moved onto six sessions of chemotherapy treatment, which have recently come to an end.

She said: “It is an understatement that chemotherapy wipes you out.

“The tiredness is extreme, it wipes you out for a week. When you are so unwell it is even tiring to look at your phone or read a message.

“I couldn’t have survived without having my partner there.

“It has been seven weeks since I finished treatment and I am slowly improving now.”

Rolyn has since received the all-clear and is now taking protein tablets to ensure the cancer doesn’t come back.

She hopes to return to work this summer.

The ESGO certification, which has been presented to the hospital’s Gynaecological Oncology Department, means that NUH is now recognised as one of only eight certified centres in the UK.

The award is given to institutions offering patients the specialist surgical skills, experience and facilities, needed to achieve the best levels of care in this area.

She added: “I am so pleased they are getting the ESGO certification. It creates confidence for women.

“I was in safe hands and the staff really care for you and help as much as they can.

“I want to encourage women, even younger women, to not shy away from this.

“The earlier you catch it the better, that’s the key. Busy mums may not notice the symptoms but it could be too late if you leave it.

“If you have anything unusual, get checked."

The Gynaecological Oncology Specialists at NUH currently treat around 100 patients each year for advanced ovarian cancers.

Common symptoms of ovarian cancer include feeling constantly bloated, a swollen tummy, discomfort in your tummy or pelvic area, feeling full quickly when eating and needing to urinate more often than usual.

Mr Jafaru Abu, Gynaecological Oncology surgeon and lead for Gynaecological Cancers at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust, said: “The EGSO certification is a major milestone and achievement for Advanced Ovarian Cancer Management in NUH, and a clear recognition of all the hard work over the last eight years by all of the members of the gynaecological cancer MDT team at the trust.

“This international recognition is also a huge reassurance to our patients for whom we will continue do the very best we can for them and go the extra mile to make sure that they are receiving the highest quality ovarian cancer surgery."

Dr Keith Girling, Medical Director of Nottingham University Hospitals, said: “This is a fantastic achievement and a credit to the whole team who have worked hard to achieve this over recent years – well done to all involved.”

*Picture taken by Nottinghamshire Live*