Cancer survivor from Maidenhead fights stigma with Cancer Research manifesto

A cancer survivor from Maidenhead is sharing her story in aid of a Cancer Research manifesto that could help avoid thousands of deaths in the future.

Iyna Butt, 39, discovered a lump by accident in 2015 and within a week was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer and told she would need chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy.

The HR director and mum found it difficult to share her diagnosis within the South Asian community as she felt it was a taboo subject.

Iyna said: “Initially I was in complete shock, then I wanted to know what it all meant for me. When the support nurse left the room, I completely broke down and just thought, ‘How am I going to tell my mum that her daughter has cancer and how will I explain it to my four-year-old son?’

“There is a real stigma associated with cancer among the South Asian community and I felt like there was no one to talk to who would understand how I was feeling or what was happening to my body.”

Now cancer-free, Iyna is featured in a special Cancer Research film highlighting the importance of cancer investment ahead of the next General Election.

She said: “Research into better treatments has given me the greatest gift – more time with my son, Maazin. I’ve seen him become a teenager and now I’m enjoying my second chance at life with a different perspective - living the life I want to live.”

In addition to chemotherapy, Iyna underwent surgery, 20 sessions of radiotherapy and hormone therapy.

She said: “The side effects for me were tough including sickness and weakness when I couldn’t even hold a glass or keep myself up. But losing my hair during chemo was the hardest part for me and I couldn’t look at myself in the mirror.

“There were times when I asked myself, ‘If I don’t make it, what do I want my son to take from this?’ I wanted him to know that I kept going through it all and didn’t give up.

“I also had a lumpectomy and then had to face up to the fact that I would also be unable to bear any more children as a result of treatment and a subsequent oophorectomy to remove my ovaries and fallopian tubes. Explaining all of that from a cultural perspective was hard as people don’t share their stories in my community.

“But my experience has driven me to encourage people to talk about cancer and I don’t ever want anyone who’s been diagnosed to feel isolated or that there’s a stigma attached to it. Now I feel grateful that I had cancer to change how I live my life and to use my experience to help others.

“I’m so grateful to have beaten cancer but my experience has highlighted that cancer care and research need more investment, not just to survive but to thrive.

"I simply wouldn’t be here without the scientists who strive to find new ways to outsmart the disease and the incredible NHS staff who treated me."

Iyna is backing Cancer Research UK’s 'Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care' which is calling on the next government to back research, end cancers caused by smoking, drive earlier diagnoses, end the wait time and publish a long-term cancer strategy.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the South East, Elisa Mitchell, said: “We’re grateful to Iyna for her support. We've made huge progress in beating cancer over the last 50 years - but it remains the defining health issue of our time. People continue to face unacceptable delays to diagnosis and treatment and the UK lags behind comparable countries when it comes to cancer survival. 

“We calculate that the recommendations made within our Manifesto for Cancer Research and Care, will reduce cancer mortality by 15% by 2040 - helping avoid 20,000 cancer deaths in the UK every year. I urge everyone to support the manifesto and sign our open letter to party leaders. The prize is a legacy of life-saving cancer research and care that will benefit the UK for decades to come.”  

For more information, visit: cruk.org/letter