Margaret was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004 and is Chair of the Northern Ireland Cancer Research Consumer Forum. Margaret is a lay member on the NI Cancer Trials Network Executive. She has been involved in partnering with researchers since 2010, including membership of study steering groups and is a co-applicant on an NIHR funded trial.

She represents NI on the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Consumer Involvement Steering Group. Margaret is Chair of the Patient Advisory Panel for the Cancer Research UK Grand Challenge (£20million) and also a member of the Research and Innovation Sounding Board.

Margaret is a member of Independent Cancer Patients’ Voice Before retirement in 2010 Margaret worked for 38 years as a Therapy Radiographer with a specific interest in supportive care – she has a Post Grad in Psychotherapeutic Studies and a Masters in Counselling.

Margaret was awarded the MBE for services to cancer research in the Queen’s Birthday 2018 Honours List.

Title: Survivorship? What Does This Mean to People Affected by Cancer?
Margaret Grayson Survivorship? – A much-used word in the area of cancer.

Survivorship is defined as state of being a survivor. A survivor is defined as a person who is able to live their life successfully despite experiencing difficulties or a life threatening disease.

In reality what does this actually mean to people affected by cancer? An interesting question that perhaps on initial reading you think might have a simple answer. Is it more than getting through treatment? Is it more than being alive? How important is quality of life?

By 2030 it is estimated that 4 million people in the UK will be living with the long term consequences of cancer.

During this session it is planned to explore the above questions by looking at the needs of people living with and beyond cancer.

National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) partnered with the James Lind Alliance on a Priority Setting Partnership and has published the Top 10 living with and beyond cancer research priorities that people feel are important for more focused research.

This will help answer the original question “ Survivorship? What does it mean to people affected by cancer”