Meet Ukpong, who has bowel cancer

18 May 2015

“I opened my eyes and asked the doctor when I would have my operation. He said ‘you already have’.”

Ukpong Anderson was a youth worker in Islington, the borough where he lives, before he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of bowel cancer on Good Friday 2013.

“I had acute stomach pain and didn’t think anything more of it at the time. Of course, now looking back, I had been lethargic for a couple of months but just got on with things. Then I was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer, an aggressive form of the disease.

“I had surgery at UCH followed by nine months of chemotherapy. Since then, the cancer has spread to my liver and I have come to the Royal Free Hospital for surgery to remove the growths.”

Ukpong’s surgery took place in the hospital’s new operating theatres, which opened in 2014, together with a new intensive care unit. Ukpong spent two days in intensive care after a five hour operation to remove the growths from his liver.

“My experience at the Royal Free has been positive and I have had really good one-to-one nursing care in ICU since my operation. There is good communication between the nursing staff assigned to me. I’m moving to 9 west ward later today.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

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About the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust

The Royal Free began as a pioneering organisation and continues to play a leading role in the care of patients. Our mission is to provide world class expertise and local care. In the 21st century, the Royal Free London continues to lead improvements in healthcare.

The Royal Free London attracts patients from across the country and beyond to its specialist services in liver, kidney and bone marrow transplantation, haemophilia, renal, HIV, infectious diseases, plastic surgery, immunology, vascular surgery, cardiology, amyloidosis and scleroderma and we are a member of the academic health science partnership UCLPartners.

In July 2014 Barnet Hospital and Chase Farm Hospital became part of the Royal Free London. Read our news story: A bigger trust, a better future.