Icon Writers
This year, Icon Cancer Centre Cairns (Liz Plummer) will celebrate 15 years of delivering world-class cancer care to the local community.
Located on-site at Liz Plummer Cancer Care Centre, the centre offers cutting-edge radiation therapy treatment for all cancer types, delivered by an experienced team who are dedicated to ensuring patients and their loved ones receive support and exceptional care every step of the way.
Over 208,000 treatments have been delivered and over 11,000 patients have been cared for at the centre since it opened its doors in 2011.
Cairns resident, Catherine Lovern is one of the many cancer patients who has been able to access care closer to home thanks to the team at Icon Cairns (Liz Plummer).
Catherine was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare and aggressive cancer that forms in the bone or soft tissue, in 2017.
“I was getting tired easily and even going up stairs was starting to become an issue,” recalls Catherine of the weeks leading up to her diagnosis.
“I was an active person, and I went to the gym regularly. One morning, I got home from the gym, and it felt like I’d strained a muscle in my side. I went to bed that night feeling very sore and I woke up at 2am and my back had seized up. I couldn’t move and I was struggling to breathe.”
The coming days were a whirlwind for Catherine. Following doctor, specialist and hospital visits, Catherine was initially diagnosed with an abscess on the lung.
“When they went to drain the abscess, I remember the doctor saying: “that doesn’t look good,” and I knew then that I was dealing with something serious,” says Catherine.
Catherine was flown to Townsville, where the cancer was discovered on the side of her lung. Following surgery, Catherine returned to Cairns where she underwent 12 months of chemotherapy, followed by 3 months of radiation therapy at Icon Cairns (Liz Plummer) under the care of radiation oncologist, Dr Luke McGhee.
Catherine was relieved to be given the all-clear following her radiation therapy treatment in 2018. However, in 2021 a persistent cough led to the discovery that Catherine’s cancer had returned inside one of her ribs.
After having the rib removed and a course of chemotherapy, Catherine has now been cancer free for four years.
“Being diagnosed with cancer was such a shock, as I’d always been fit and healthy. I’d never been to hospital,” says Catherine.
“But I had faith in my medical team. They didn’t sugar coat things, and I knew it wasn’t good, but they always remained confident of achieving a good outcome and they certainly delivered that.”
When asked if her cancer diagnosis changed her outlook on life, Catherine is quick to respond with “yes.”
“I used to be very cautious about spending money but not now,” laughs Catherine.
“I retired from work and now I’m spending money. It was touch and go following my initial diagnosis, so once I was well again, my priorities changed. We’ve done a lot of travelling in recent years.”
Catherine and her husband have travelled to Europe, Japan, New Zealand and have more travel plans arranged. She is thankful to the medical teams who have helped her to overcome cancer and go on to see the world.
As the Icon Cairns (Liz Plummer) team get ready to celebrate the centre’s 15th birthday this year, Catherine has a message to share with them.
“I would like to pass on my heartfelt thanks to the entire team. They have been wonderful. I got to know the staff and I enjoyed chatting about our travels and life in general with them. Cairns is a small place, so I often see them out and about. They always say “hello,” which is lovely,” says Catherine.
“The service is so important to the community. I don’t know how I would have coped if I’d had to travel to Brisbane or Townsville for such a significant amount of treatment. Being able to have my treatment so close to home made the situation a lot easier.”
To find out more about Icon Cairns (Liz Plummer), visit: https://iconcancercentre.com.au/centres/cairns-liz-plummer/