Belfast mum diagnosed with cancer after charity's Tweet prompted her to take action

An East Belfast mum has spoken out about her life-saving experience with a local charity, after she was diagnosed with cancer.

Lyn Stevenson, 45, had discovered an "odd-looking spot/mole" on her knee last May. As a pharmacist, Lyn says she is aware of the ABCDE check as an easy-to-remember system for determining whether a mole or growth may be cancerous. The mark on her knee was new and did look to be changing or evolving.

After discussing it with her husband John, that same evening Lyn saw a tweet from Action Cancer for the new Skin Cancer Detection Service.

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"Right then I chose to take action and get it looked at," she said.

"I decided to book a virtual assessment, to give myself peace of mind – but also so I could tell my colleagues and pharmacy patients about how the service works, sharing my own experience. Booking the appointment was really easy – and I had my virtual assessment a few days later.

"After answering a few questions, the Skin Cancer Specialist Nurse took a look at the mole in question. She recommended I come into Action Cancer House in South Belfast for a face-to-face consultation, which was arranged for the week after. After examination with the dermatoscope and photos of the mole were taken, I also had a mole check of my whole body.

"It was decided that I needed referred to Dermatology, and so the photos, along with my history, were sent straight to the Ulster Hospital for review. Less than two weeks later I had a call to say my case had been reviewed and removal of the lesion was recommended.

"This was carried out in Orthoderm clinic on 5th July along with another body scan."

On August 15, Lyn was called back to the Orthoderm Clinic for a follow up appointment. That’s when she received the unexpected news that she had a Nodular Malignant Melanoma (stage 2b) with a Breslow depth of 1.4mm which indicated the depth which the melanoma had gone into the dermis.

The Multidisciplinary team then reviewed her case, and decided that as a precaution, she should be scheduled for a Wide Local Excision, to make sure there was no further cancer cells at the original site, together with a Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy. Again, to check that there had been no further spread.

"This was scheduled for 6th October and on the 9th November, I got the welcome news that no further melanoma had been detected," Lyn added.

"I am now scheduled for follow up mole mapping with Dermatology and will be applying my SPF with renewed vigour.

"Nodular melanoma can grow very quickly, so if I hadn’t booked that appointment with Action Cancer, and just hoped it would go away, I am certain my story would have had a very different ending.

"I hope others might read about my experience and be spurred into action. Either to get themselves checked out – or perhaps to encourage a friend or family member who is concerned about a mole or a new or changing skin lesion to make an appointment.

"The service saved my life, and I can’t thank Action Cancer enough."

Action Cancer’s Skin Cancer Detection Service was launched a year ago and is delivered by a highly qualified and experienced nursing specialist team.

The charity’s Skin Cancer Detection Service supplements the service available in most GP practices in Northern Ireland, increasing choice and accessibility. Action Cancer’s service is for people concerned about a new or changing skin lesion and offers a two-stage process.

Concerned members of the public, who meet the service eligibility criteria, are offered in the first instance a virtual assessment with a Skin Cancer Specialist Nurse.

If the Specialist Nurse feels that further assessment is needed, then a face-to-face appointment is offered on board an upcoming visit by the charity’s mobile unit, the Big Bus (supported by SuperValu and Centra), which visits all five HSC Trust areas across Northern Ireland twice every four weeks or at Action Cancer House in Belfast.

Following the face-to-face appointment the charity then has the ability, using the Department of Health dermatology photo triage referral pathway, to refer the individual directly to secondary care for further assessment.

Over the last 12 months, the charity’s two Skin Cancer Specialist Nurses, Iona McCormack and Roisin Hill, have carried out a total of 2269 Consultations which includes 1381 Virtual Consultations and 888 Skin Lesion Assessments.

131 red flag and urgent referrals were sent to Dermatology via E Triage and, in the last year, Iona and Rosin have detected over 100 skin cancers.

In addition, the nurses have delivered education sessions on skin cancer prevention and detection with Farm Families and at the Balmoral Show.

Iona McCormack, who has over 30 years’ experience in Dermatology and heads up the new service at Action Cancer, said: "The majority of people in Northern Ireland have pale skin that tends to freckle and burn easily. Episodes of sun burning and tanning will increase your risk of skin cancer.

"Unfortunately, in Northern Ireland we have high usage of sunbeds and, with the introduction of low-cost airlines, trips abroad to Europe and beyond are more accessible.

"Since our official launch in April 2023, we have detected many skin cancers. However, we have also had the opportunity to reassure Patients with benign skin lesions. Our aim is to detect skin cancer as early as possible and create an awareness of skin cancer prevention, and signs and symptoms of the most commonly occurring skin cancers.

"Be vigilant and check your skin for any changes and if you are concerned, please do get in touch with us."

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