Press release posted 15 July 2025
As the UK grapples with an ageing population, more people than ever before are facing the dual diagnosis of cancer and dementia.
Macmillan estimates that approximately 8% of individuals aged 75 and over are living with both conditions, leading to complex healthcare needs and challenges for the NHS.
This dual diagnosis often complicates treatment plans and patient outcomes, leading to increased mortality rates. Patients with dementia may face delayed cancer diagnoses and treatment, receive less potent treatment, and experience poorer outcomes compared to those without cognitive impairments.
This disparity underscores the need for integrated care approaches to help patients with dementia safely access cancer treatment.
The Christie in Manchester was one of the first in the country to innovate, providing tailored support for these vulnerable patients. Recognising the unique challenges faced by patients with both cancer and dementia, the cancer centre has implemented specialised support through a specialist dementia nurse service to deliver comprehensive care for cancer patients with dementia.
This approach enabled life-saving treatment to go ahead for 82-year-old great-grandmother Mary Bruce. Living with dementia when diagnosed with skin cancer, Mary successfully underwent two surgeries at The Christie, with tailored support provided by a specialist dementia nurse clinician.
Mary, a former domestic supervisor at BT, is married to John Bruce. They have 4 children: Anne, Marie, Catherine, and John. Mary lives in supported care in Wythenshawe and loves playing darts and card games.
In the summer of 2024, Mary was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, after her daughter Marie Leonard, age 60, noticed a small mark on Mary's face.
Mary was referred to The Christie in August 2024, the same hospital where Marie works as part of the scheduling team in the Integrated Procedures Unit. Marie had previously worked as a healthcare assistant for nearly 25 years.
Mary and Marie met with a consultant at The Christie, who recommended surgery to remove the cancer. This would be a challenge, though, as Mary has been living with dementia for around 8 years and the surgery that would normally be done involved having a local anaesthetic.
Due to Mary's dementia, she and her daughter Marie were referred to The Christie's specialist dementia nurse clinician, Lorraine Burgess, to see what support could be put in place for them both to be confident that the surgery could go ahead safely.
With the additional support measures put in place by Lorraine and her colleagues, Mary was able to successfully have surgery twice, on 1 October and again on 23 October, with a general anaesthetic.
"Mum finds it difficult to remember things that have just happened and has short-term memory issues", said Marie. "She is more likely to struggle in stressful situations, for example, when medical treatment is needed.
"Through working at The Christie, I learned about the amazing work Lorraine Burgess does to support dementia patients, although I am sure even if I didn't work here, I would still have been offered that support.
"Lorraine sorted everything I needed to help me get Mum through the surgery and to recover afterwards. She liaised with all the surgical teams that were going to be involved in Mum's care, but most importantly, she was there to support me through the experience, as it was quite an ordeal.
"My experience at The Christie, both as an employee and a carer, has been first class. Lorraine gave me some great practical tips and advice, particularly on how to help Mum to relax. I honestly don't think Mum or I could have got through the cancer surgery without that help. The plastic surgery team were also superb, and the team in the Integrated Procedures Unit looked after Mum superbly. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Lorraine and The Christie for their care."