'Unlucky' teacher gets breast cancer twice in unrelated cases but vows to fight on for her kids

A mum-of-two said she is determined to watch her children grow up after being diagnosed with cancer twice in less than three years.

Nicola Handscomb, from Rubery, was first diagnosed with inflammatory breast cancer in 2015 while living in China.Alongside surgery and radiotherapy, she benefited from a newly licensed chemotherapy drug that helped save her life.

But just over two years later she found a lump in her other breast - and on this occasion, the cancer had spread.“The two cancers weren’t related," said the Birmingham teacher. "I was told I was just extremely unlucky to get it twice.

“I was even more unlucky the second time because it wasn’t confined to my breast.”

More chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy followed.She now takes life-saving drugs, including herceptin, to keep her cancer at bay.

She said: “Breakthroughs in treatment have meant my cancer is treatable."While the professionals can’t see the cancer, they can’t be certain [it won't return]. I’m hopeful that future breakthroughs will provide a cure.”

Cancer Research UK scientists laid the groundwork for herceptin by showing that some types of breast cancer have particular proteins on the surface of cancer cells which fuel their growth.This is now the gold standard of care for this type of breast cancer, the charity said, helping more women like Nicola survive.

“I’m so grateful for the treatment that’s saving my life,” said Nicola.

“I’ve been told that if my current treatment stops working there’s another option now available to me that didn’t exist a couple of years ago.

"That alone shows the importance of continuing research."

Nicola is backing the charity's new manifesto calling on the next UK Government to help prevent cancer deaths. Whoever assumes office after the general election must commit to developing a 10-year cancer plan, the charity said.

It added that urgent action is required to address a £1billion funding gap for research into cancer over the next decade.Cancer Research has also called for the introduction of measures to end cancers caused by smoking and for improved early detection of the disease through lung screening programmes.

"We all need to get behind this manifesto and have our voices heard so that more families like mine can enjoy more moments," said Nicola.Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the West Midlands, Paula Young, said: “We've made huge progress in beating cancer over the last 50 years - but it remains the defining health issue of our time.

"Cases are rising and we estimate that half a million people will be diagnosed with cancer in the UK every year by 2040."People continue to face unacceptable delays to diagnosis and treatment and the UK lags behind comparable countries when it comes to cancer survival.

"The public expect and deserve action."We calculate that the recommendations made within our Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care, will reduce cancer mortality by 15 per cent by 2040 - helping avoid 20,000 cancer deaths in the UK every year. But only if we act now.

"I urge everyone to support the manifesto and sign our open letter to party leaders."

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Cancer is being diagnosed at an earlier stage, more often, with survival rates improving across almost all types of cancer and the NHS seeing and treating record numbers of cancer patients over the last two years.

“Our Major Conditions Strategy will set out how we will improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment and we have opened 135 community diagnostic centres offering over five million additional tests, including for cancer.

“Research and the life sciences are crucial in the fight against cancer, which is why we invest £1 billion per year through the National Institute for Health and Care Research and brokered new partnerships with BioNTech and Moderna which will enable patients in the NHS to be the first in the world to benefit from potential cancer vaccines.”

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