Search icon

Health

04th Oct 2021

Vicky Phelan returns to Ireland after scans discover new tumours

Kat O'Connor

Ms Phelan shared the health update yesterday.

Vicky Phelan has returned home to Ireland to receive palliative care after scans detected new tumours in her body.

The cervical cancer campaigner shared her latest health update with her followers on social media.

Taking to Instagram, she wrote: “It’s been a couple of weeks since I posted an update. That’s because since my last update, I have had some bad news.

“Unfortunately, following a PET scan which my radiation oncologist at Georgetown University Hospital ordered, I have some new tumours. I have two new tumours in my neck but the worrying one is a new tumour on my bowel….This means that I am no longer eligible for proton beam therapy since my tumours are far too extensive, ie I have too much disease in my body for them to zap!

Vicky explained that her team at Georgetown University Hospital advised her to return home for “systemic therapy, ie palliative chemotherapy”.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUkZfOyMlBX/

She continued: “All of this happened over the space of a few days when decisions had to be made very quickly. With a very heavy heart, I made the decision to return home to Ireland. I returned home earlier this week and am taking the time to reconnect with my kids and to absorb this news before I start down the chemotherapy road.”

However, Vicky shared that the treatment she is on will “keep her alive” until Christmas at least. However, it will take a serious toll on both her body and mind.

To that end, the cancer campaigner explained that she will be taking a break from social media, and will only post sporadically.

She wrote: “As always, I would like to thank you all so very much for your support, your kindness, your generosity, your prayers and positive messages which continue to lift me and keep me going.”

We are keeping Vicky in our thoughts during this harrowing time.