Just after celebrating her 18th birthday, Anthea was devastatingly told she had a cancerous tumour in her arm that needed removing. At such a young age, she was stunned by the news, and feared her dreams of becoming a midwife were over when her doctor suggested amputation to save her life. However, when the student was referred to a specialist surgeon at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, one of the world ’s leading cancer hospitals , she was given an alternative in the form of life-changing surgery.
In tonight's episode of the new season of Super Surgeons: A Chance at Life, Channel 4 viewers see just how intricate the surgery is as they work to carefully remove the tumour without damaging the nerves in her arm. The four-part series, produced by Wonderhood in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support, examines new robotic operations on a range of tumours, focusing on younger patients diagnosed with complex cancers. Some patients are tasked with making impossible life-changing decisions; from considering critical surgery that risks irreversible damage to fertility to debating the benefits of treatments with potentially debilitating health consequences.
For Anthea, her nightmare began last year when she found a swelling on her arm and despite it going down, a lump remained. She didn't take much notice of it initially, but when it became painful she showed it to her auntie, who is a nurse, who recommended she had it checked out. The 18-year-old had an MRI scan and a biops.
