A beloved grandma-of-six has battled with five different types of cancer in the past 40 years. Irene North's life was saved by one hero doctor in the 1980s and 1990s, Professor Tony Howell, who became Irene's friend after decades of treatment.
But when she went back to hospital in 2008, Irene could not believe who walked into her appointment. Irene was shocked to see that her new doctor looked exactly like Professor Tony - before he introduced himself as Sacha Howell, Tony's son.
Irene, now 71, was 'left terrified' when she was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987. The Tameside native was sent to be cared for at Manchester's internationally acclaimed cancer centre, The Christie, but that 'felt like a death sentence' in that era.
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“I was told I needed to go to The Christie and back then, just the name of the hospital felt like a death sentence," said Irene.
The retired NHS phlebotomist who has a daughter, two sons and six grandchildren worried most about her family when she was first diagnosed. “My mum had died of cancer at the age of 41 when I was six years old and all I could think about was how my children would cope if the same happened to me,” said Irene. “Because mum died so young it was always at the back of my mind that I might get cancer.”
It was only after she entered the hospital that the stigma around the hospital ended. “Once I was through the door and started to talk to people, I realised that it wasn’t the place I or my family feared. The staff are so caring and compassionate, and their expertise is always plain to see," said Irene.
Not only has Irene been diagnosed with breast cancer and secondary breast cancer but she has been treated for cervical cancer and skin cancer too. A routine scan in 2014 also detected the very early stages of pancreatic cancer, which was successfully treated without her requiring major surgery.
Following treatment during 1987 and 1988, Irene was declared cancer free. She threw herself into fundraising for cancer related causes, along with her husband Jack, and also helped to establish the Withington/Christie breast cancer care group.
Professor Tony Howell was Irene’s oncologist in the 1980s and 90s and through the work of the Withington/Christie breast cancer care patient support group, she got to know him well.
“Tony and I became friends, and he supported the group frequently,” said Irene. “He came along to talk to us as cancer patients about the challenges and developments of breast cancer treatments.
"Over the years I got to know most of the breast care team at The Christie and many of them joined us to share their expertise with the group.
“I was getting calls from so many patients who wanted someone to talk to. People were not only having to cope with cancer but the fallout such as losing jobs, losing their homes, having mental health issues, and relationship difficulties."
Tragically, Irene's husband died from a from a brain haemorrhage in 1995, among the reasons she gave up the group. But she says she 'always looks back at it as one of her proudest achievements'.
Then, Irene's lingering fears came true some 20 years on, but then the unbelievable happened. The 'spitting image' of her former oncologist in the 1980s walked through the door.
“I always knew there was a risk that my cancer would come back," she explained. "In 2007 I was told I had secondary breast cancer that had spread to other parts of my body.
“Shortly after that in 2008, I walked through the door into a consulting room with my daughter Tracy and was surprised to see a spitting image of Tony Howell. It was surreal.
"Sacha explained that Tony was his dad. They are both very similar in how they treat patients. They both really listen to what you have to say, and I always felt like they had my best interests at heart."
Irene was among the patients to try some of the new cancer drugs as part of the two oncologists' research work at the pioneering hospital. First, Tony began investigating new treatments, only to be followed in his footsteps by his son Sacha.
Irene feels very lucky that many of the treatments she has been given over the years have worked for longer than anticipated. “I was on Letrozole for nearly 14 years which was way beyond the expectations of success,” she said. “I was lucky as it kept the cancer stable for so long. But eventually, cancer spread into my chest, lungs and lymph nodes.
"I was offered a type of chemotherapy called Palbociclib combined with a hormone injection monthly. I was told they might only keep the cancer away for 12 months but combined they worked for almost two years.
“I’m now on another hormonal drug. Cancer has spread to my spine and there is more of it in my lungs and on my chest. The doctors have helped me maintain hope. That’s why the work The Christie does to discover new treatments is so important for patients like me."
Over decades, the Tameside pensioner has faced many of the challenges which other cancer patients do - including hair loss.
“Coping with cancer is hard and living with it for 35 years has been tough. One of the hardest things for me has been hair loss," said Irene. "I’ve had so much cancer treatment now that I know my hair will never grow back. It affects confidence so much and negatively impacts the social interactions that are really needed when you are low.
“I feel that sometimes the burden of living with cancer is worse for my family than for me. I know my family worry a lot. I try my very best to be positive because that’s better for all of us. I get on with life and do all I can to live as normal a life as possible.”
But some of the biggest changes Irene has observed throughout her years of treatment at The Christie are the increase in the number of people getting treatment for cancer and the scans and check-ups she gets, as well as care from The Christie team at home.
Irene shared: “A lot of my treatment can be given by The Christie staff in local health facilities or even in the comfort of my own home with the nurses coming to me. That has made a huge difference to me, particularly during the pandemic and I’m very grateful. This team is another example of the wonderful work The Christie does.”
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