Irish Cancer Society

03/09/2025

🩸🦴If your cancer treatment includes an , we're here to help.💛

👇Read and download our newly updated booklet here👇
https://www.cancer.ie/sites/default/files/2025-08/Allogeneic%20stem%20cell%20transplants%202025%20WEB.pdf

📖Order a free paper copy on Freephone 1800 200 700 or supportline@irishcancer.ie or ask at a Daffodil Centre.

01/09/2025

“Living with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) doesn’t interfere with my life, I’m healthy enough.

"I’m maybe a little overly concerned with aches and pains, but other than that, I don’t really have to do anything differently. But I always know that I have cancer, it’s always in the back of my mind.”

Declan Whelan, 57, from Finglas, Dublin, who is sharing his story to mark World CLL Day, started to experience some concerning health issues in 2014.

These included night sweats, sudden but brief spells of temporary blindness, blurred vision and swelling under his armpit. Declan, who was living in Melbourne, Australia at the time, says it took him a few months to decide to see his doctor.

When he did go to see his doctor, he was sent straight to A&E where tests revealed that he had CLL.

The news came as a surprise to Declan, but he was reassured by his oncologist who told him that his cancer was treatable.

“He said the bad news is, it is cancer, but the good news is, it’s not going to kill you. He said of the types of CLL there are, I had the ‘good’ one. That really put me at ease.”

Declan, who moved back to Dublin in March 2018, underwent chemotherapy and participated in a clinical trial shortly after he was diagnosed, which put his cancer into remission. However, in 2019 his cancer returned and he now continues to take medication to manage his condition and gets regular blood tests.

“Every three months, I get bloods done and I take tablets every day," says Declan. "At the moment, I’m doing OK on the tablet that I’m on. But I know that, if and when it stops working, there’s a chance that I may require a bone marrow transplant. However, new advancements are being made all the time, and I am pretty confident about the future.”

To read Declan's story in full, visit cancer.ie/your-stories/declan-whelans-chronic-lymphocytic-leukaemia-story

01/09/2025

The is taking place on September 9th in the Phoenix Park, Dublin, and we'd love to see you there!

How you can support:
✅ Sign up for the walk at bootsnightwalk.com
✅ Purchase an Honour Tag in any Boots store✅ Or simply make a donation online at bootsnightwalk.com

Don’t forget, you can also walk at a location of your choosing if you can’t make it into the Phoenix Park!

31/08/2025

📌 Naas, we're coming to see you!

Wednesday, September 3rd and Thursday, September 4th we'll be in the Monread Shopping Centre with our Your Health Matters Roadshow offering free health checks!

Come down and chat with our friendly nurses, ask some questions, and take a proactive step for your health! 💛

See you there! 👩‍⚕️

29/08/2025

We're delighted to hear the brilliant news that Josh Bradley has successfully finished his cancer treatment! 💛

Josh, 11, was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2022 and was supported throughout his treatment by his proud family.

Josh's dad and Shamrock Rovers F.C. manager Stephen Bradley, is an Irish Cancer Society supporter who took part in Relay For Life in 2023 and shared his family's cancer story on Daffodil Day last March.

We're so happy for the Bradleys and wish them all the best for the future!

29/08/2025

An absolutely MAMMOTH challenge being undertaken by Alan and Liam: 7 Ultramarathons, 7 Cities, 7 days!
Very best of luck, lads! 💛💛

Help Alan Minihane, Liam Dinneen raise money to support Irish Cancer Society

27/08/2025

The Irish Cancer Society is calling on Government to regulate emerging ni****ne products, such as pouches, that are being cynically marketed to young people.

This weekend’s Electric Picnic, expected to draw a crowd of 80,000 festival goers, marks the latest in a string of festivals and concerts across the summer to partner with dangerous and harmful ni****ne pouch providers.

Several major summer festivals have partnered with ni****ne pouch companies, such as Velo, owned by British American To***co (BAT), and Nordic Spirit, owned by Japan To***co International (JTI).

Averil Power, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society, said: “E-cigarettes and ni****ne pouches are cynically designed to be attractive to young people, with multiple flavours and sweet-like packaging. After years of advocacy by the Irish Cancer Society and others, Government finally introduced restrictions on the sale of e-cigarettes in December 2023 and further legislation is in train to tackle their marketing. However, right now there are no restrictions whatsoever on the sale or promotion of ni****ne pouches.

“Now, festivals such as Electric Picnic, are not only full of pop-up shops selling ni****ne products, they are also sponsored by pouch brands owned by big to***co. In the absence of legislation, these cynical tactics are going completely unchecked by Government and a whole new generation of young people are getting hooked on ni****ne.

“Government must address this urgently by passing the long-promised va**ng legislation and widening it to include ni****ne pouches and other emerging products, as in the Netherlands and Denmark.”

Professor Bobby Smyth, Clinical Professor of Public Health & Primary Care, Trinity College Dublin, said: "These pouches play no role in smoking cessation. Their purpose is simply to addict a new generation to ni****ne, some of whom will inevitably transition to traditional smoking. Some products contain staggering quantities of ni****ne. They can cause symptoms of ni****ne poisoning which includes vomiting, stomach pain, sweating and increased blood pressure. There are single cans of pouches containing enough ni****ne to kill two 13-year-olds. And sadly, but predictably, there is nobody in charge of regulating or monitoring these health damaging products."

27/08/2025

🩸If you're being treated for ( ), we're here to help.💛

👇Read and download our newly updated booklet here👇https://www.cancer.ie/sites/default/files/2025-05/AML%20%282025%29%20WEB.pdf

📖Order a free paper copy on Freephone 1800 200 700 or supportline@irishcancer.ie or ask at a Daffodil Centre.

26/08/2025

“There’s a place for everyone at Relay For Life, whether you or your family have been directly impacted by cancer, or if you want to show your support for people who have been affected.”

Breast cancer survivor Lisa Fagan, 49, from Mullingar, Co. Westmeath is looking forward to taking part in Relay For Life Westmeath in Tyrrellspass GAA Club on the 20th of September.

Lisa's involvement in Relay For Life started in 2023, seven years after she received a breast cancer diagnosis.

The mother-of-two received her diagnosis in 2017, after she found a lump in her right breast, and further tests revealed she had the BRCA gene.

“I remember feeling a pain in my chest, and tears quietly falling down my face. I had two young children, who were four and 11 at the time, and I was thinking of them. Realising that it was cancer was terrifying, it turned myself and my husband’s world upside down.”
The treatment that Lisa received included a double mastectomy and fallopian tube removal due to her having the BRCA gene, and also chemotherapy. In August 2018, Lisa realised everything was heading in the right direction when she received some good news.
“In August 2018, after I had my mastectomy, the doctor said everything was clear and then I could breathe a sigh of relief, and I realised I could build back up after it all.”
In 2023, Lisa was continuing to do well and attended Relay For Life Wexford in memory of a friend who had passed away, and also got involved in the survivors’ aspect of the event.

"One of the girls put me forward for the survivors’ lunch, which is held during every Relay For Life. It was so emotional to be there, and to see so many other people who were survivors too and had come through their cancer experience.

"When I saw Relay For Life was coming to Tyrellspass this year, I signed up right away. It's not just an event about cancer, it’s about honouring people who have survived and remembering those who have died, supporting the strides being made in cancer research, and showing that we’re all stronger together."

To sign up for Relay For Life or to bring it to your area, visit relayforlife.ie

23/08/2025

Your experience, your voice, your story! 💛

By sharing your breast cancer experience, you can:
✨ Inspire others to get checked
✨ Help people in a similar situation feel less alone
✨ Raise awareness and spread hope

Whether you're a survivor or supporting a loved one, your story can shine a light for others, reminding them to check themselves monthly and act if they notice any changes.

To share your story, please visit: cancer.ie/share-your-cancer-story

19/08/2025

Gill Costelloe, 45, was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2021, when it was discovered that she had a reoccurrence of melanoma that had spread. The Dublin woman was first diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016 after a friend noticed a mole on her back and advised her to get it checked out.

“I went to my GP, but I felt like it would be nothing major,” she says. “It turned out to be melanoma, but we caught it early and they removed the mole and surrounding skin, and I felt lucky. They said I’d be monitored for five years, and exactly five years later it came back with a vengeance.”

In 2021, Gill became concerned after she fainted two mornings in a row. She went to her GP, who advised her to go to hospital, and it was discovered that her skin cancer had returned and had spread.

“It’s scary, because you’re walking around, feeling fine, but the doctor said that if I had waited a few more days I could’ve died.”

Gill is sharing her story to highlight the importance of sun safety, to discourage sunbed use, and to share the impact that skin cancer can have.

"People think that skin cancer isn’t serious," she says. “Mine was caught early but still spread to my liver, my lung, my breast, my stomach, my abdominal cavity and my hip bone. I nearly died and spent three months in hospital. I’m very, very lucky to be here today to tell my story.”

To read Gill's story in full, visit https://brnw.ch/21wV1EW

18/08/2025

Join us TONIGHT, at Netwatch Cullen Park for the legendary clash of the ash that is Hurling For Cancer! ✨🔥

Tonight will be filed with thrills as you watch GAA legends battle it out for the title of Champions 2025! 💛

If you can't join us in person, catch the action on TG4 from 7.15pm

🥎Throw in 7.30pm
🧒Minis matches 6pm
Gates open 5.30pm