This week's episode is the first of our patient story series, talking with patients sharing their personal stories. Lean was kind enough to share her surrogacy journey with us and we are very proud to be able to share such an informative and inspiring story.

IG: @theanswersforcancerspodcast

Mandy joined the Rotunda IVF/Sims IVF Swords team in 2016 as the oncology cryopreservation programme manager and senior embryologist and has been an integral member of the team ever since. Her experience has been invaluable in training new staff and sharing the Rotunda IVF oncology cryopreservation programme with the wider medical community including presentations at conferences and lectures to oncologists, nurses, medical students and hospital staff.

She loves speaking with patients, hearing their success stories and is passionate about beautiful embryos and getting the best possible results for her patients

Dr Mary Rogan is a retired GP, Psychosexual Therapist & author of Sex for simple Humans. 

Mary's book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sex-Simple-Humans-Throughout-Your-ebook/dp/B077YLB44P/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&qid=1615852529&refinements=p_27%3ADr+Mary+Frances+Rogan&s=books&sr=1-1&text=Dr+Mary+Frances+Rogan

This week we discuss Radiotherapy with Dr. Michael Maher, Dr. Maher qualified from the Royal College of Surgeons and completed his radiation oncology training in St Lukes Hospital Dublin, the Institut de Cancérologie Gustave-Roussy, and Institut Curie. He established the first private radiotherapy centre in Ireland in 1995 when he joined the Mater Private Hospital. Dr Maher is a leader in the field of prostate seed implantation and established the first programme of its kind in Ireland. In 2010 Dr Maher was appointed as the Chairman of the Cancer Centre at the Mater Private and has oversight for the provision of cancer care throughout the hospital. Dr Maher’s vision for the cancer centre is to provide personalised care to patients living with a cancer diagnosis whilst offering the most recent treatments and technology to ensure the best possible outcome.

Prof. John McCaffery joins us today to speak about the most frequently asked questions Men may have when Diagnosed with prostate cancer

This week with talk about fatigue with Occupational Therapist Deirdre Connolly

This week we reflect on some of the treatments Professor Duffy covered in episode 5, we also chat with our friend and colleague Sarah Robinson who is studying further education in Oncology with UCD who shares some of the side effects some of these treatments could have, focusing on the thyroid.

Doctor Duffy is a medical oncologist, researcher and author of ‘This Living and Immortal thing ‘ he completed his undergraduate medicine training in Trinity college in Dublin and has taken the medical field by storm ever since. Cancer is something he is very familiar with , he moved to New York after completing his oncology training in Ireland . He had won a scholarship curtesy of a 200,000 scholarship programme to take up residency at one of the worlds oldest and most renowned cancer centres, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, where he was undertaking research surrounding gastrointestinal cancers. Most recently he is a professor in translational oncology in UCD and has shifted his focus and taken a keen interest in immune based approaches to cancer. And is one of Ireland’s leading experts and researchers in immunotherapy. Today he joins us to explain what immunotherapy is, how it works and how it differs from chemotherapy . We really enjoyed this conversation and we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for treating cancer with immunotherapy.

For over 60 years the Roach family have been involved in hair and beauty industry, with a specialisation in wigs and hair pieces. Fergus and Maura Roach recognising the lack of services for people concerned with hair loss , opened their dedicated wig centre in 1986. Their passion for the business was passed down to their daughter Anne Roche. Anne along with her team of expert wig and hair replacement specialists took over in 2006. Since then Roches have helped thousands of women and men experiencing hair loss through cancer feel that little bit more like their normal selves. She speaks to us today about everything from when is the best time in your treatment journey to start thinking about getting a wig and who to bring with you to your first appointment . To shave or not to Shave? and the emotional side of losing your hair . This is a really helpful conversation which we got so many great tips from to share to our patients . We hope you do too .