Suffolk woman shares the struggle and reality of breast cancer

Cate Caruth says treating breast cancer is difficult, but patients face other problems afterwards

Contributed Cate Caruth smiles at the camera in front of a white background. She has shoulder length brown hair with bangs. She is wearing a dark colored top. — Cate Caruth says treating breast cancer is difficult, but patients face other problems afterwards

Before Cate Caruth’s 39th birthday, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

She had discovered a lump in one of her breasts, but had no idea during the treatment that she would also enter early menopause.

After treatment, she had to overcome fears that the cancer would return before setting up a support group in her home town of Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk.

For Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the now 57-year-old would like to show that cancer patients have to deal with more than just operations and chemotherapy.

In mid-2005, while living in Kent, Ms Caruth noticed pain in her breast, and by October she had found a small, firm lump.

“At the time I was 38, and I thought that was impossible; I’m too young,” she said.

She had it checked and on her birthday she was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

She underwent surgery to remove the tumor, as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

However, she said she had “no idea” she would be dealing with early menopause.

“Suddenly, halfway through chemotherapy, I had a hot flash with no idea what it was,” she explained.

“You already don’t trust your body, so you’re already panicking about everything.”

Doctors told her this was normal because the treatment damaged the ovaries, but Ms Caruth said women were often unaware of this.

Mrs. Caruth has lymphedema which causes her body tissue to swell as a result of her breast cancer

Contributed A close-up image of Mrs. Caruth as she underwent her treatment for breast cancer. She is bald as a result of chemotherapy and smiles at the camera. Behind her is a printer on a cupboard, while to her right a cord hangs on the wall. — Mrs. Caruth has lymphedema which causes her body tissue to swell as a result of her breast cancer

Her treatment ended in August 2006, but Ms Caruth said she still struggled with it.

“Every beep, every pain, every discoloration of the skin, my brain went on red alert – it could be cancer,” she said.

“That lasted five years, and you live with the fear in the background that it will come back.”

Ms Caruth believed that more support was needed for patients after their treatment, especially those dealing with additional health issues caused by the cancer or treatment.

“(Breast cancer) treatments are generally very successful, but the long-term consequences are much less well known,” she added.

She founded the BBC 1-in-5 group after returning to Bury St Edmunds in late 2007.

It is an informal group with an additional WhatsApp chat that meets every second Sunday of the month at Harriet’s Cafe Tearooms in the city.

Anyone can join the group, including anyone with other forms of cancer. They can come by whenever they feel like it.

‘Surreal moment’

Shiela Lorking said the support from the BBC 1-in-5 group had been invaluable to her

Contributed A close-up image of Shiela Lorking resting her head on her husband's shoulder. She has shoulder length brown hair with a peach flower in her hair and is smiling. Her husband has short blond hair with a blond beard. Trees and shrubs can be seen behind them. — Shiela Lorking said the support from the BBC 1-in-5 group had been invaluable to her

Shiela Lorking, 50, is a teacher who lives in Bury St Edmunds and uses the BBC 1-in-5 WhatsApp group.

At the end of August 2022, she had just gotten engaged in Morocco when she discovered a lump.

Although she wasn’t immediately concerned, she was later diagnosed with breast cancer.

“I’ve talked to other women about that moment when they said it was cancer,” she said.

“It’s like you’re standing above your body; it’s the strangest feeling.

“It’s a surreal moment when it’s not your life anymore and something else is in control.”

‘Big blow’

Mrs Lorking underwent a mastectomy to remove her breast and radiotherapy, which led to extreme fatigue.

Unfortunately, in August this year, while on holiday in Belgium, she discovered another lump, just as she was about to start teaching at a new school.

“They’re just a bit baffled as to why it came back, because I was on the drug that (should have prevented) it from coming back and the radiotherapy should have burned it all out, but it still came back,” she said.

“That was a huge blow.”

Ms Lorking (far left) said her colleagues in education had been incredibly helpful during her cancer journey

Ms Lorking is pictured standing in a row with her teaching colleagues, with their arms around each other and smiles on their faces. Mrs. Lorking is standing at the far left of the row with a pink bucket hat on her head and wearing a white T-shirt and glasses. The group stands in front of a pink screen. — Ms Lorking (far left) said her colleagues in education had been incredibly helpful during her cancer journey

She is still receiving treatment, but is finding a lot of support from the BBC 1-in-5 group.

“Their WhatsApp group was just amazing because there’s always someone you can lean on,” she explained.

“Almost any question you have, you can ask the group, and someone will have gone through it.

“If it’s going through your head at 2 a.m. and you can’t sleep, you can just put it on the group, and there’s always someone awake.”

Ms Lorking encouraged anyone concerned about their health to always have it checked.

She also assured those without the disease that they could still have honest conversations about their own issues with people with cancer.

“It allows us to help others too. Otherwise we can sometimes feel left out – we don’t have the exclusivity to feel terrible,” she said.

“Don’t be afraid to have normal conversations and tell people who are still struggling with cancer about you and the things that are happening.

“Those are meaningful relationships.”