Hi Coopson,

Firstly I'm glad to hear you've been getting on well recently. I can see you've been speaking to others on this forum about this so hopefully that's been helpful. I'd suggest following any guidance you receive from the government if possible, to cover all bases. If this proves particularly difficult, you can seek additional advice from your medical team and see if what they say is different.

Wishing you all the best,

Ben
Cancer Chat Moderator

Well I'm gonna try phoning my medical team today but I find it hard to believe I'd still be considered to be under any treatment after 20 years of being cancer free plus I'm not feeling too at risk giving the fact that I already tested postive for covid19 in mid march and only had a mild illness I know its not known if you can catch it again but having beat it once I'm not too worried although I was at the time.

If am told by my medical team to isolate I think I will my GP didn't seem to concerned but he couldn't say ether way so he had to defer to the guidelines

Hi there Coopson,

I'm in exactly the same boat as you. I recovered from Hodgkin's lymphoma 18 years ago, but I'm getting letters and texts from the NHS as if I should be shielding. What advice were you given in the end?

Thanks,

George 

I was just told to shield so I did you getting this letters and texts now I've not gotten anything?

It's not just blood cancer, to the best of my knowledge, it's any cancer, no matter how long ago.

I had early stage prostate cancer 10 years ago which was treated by surgery, and last year I had early bladder cancer, also treated by surgery. I've never had radio or chemotherapy, and my GP considers my risk level is no worse than anyone else of my age (66). Nevertheless, I've been told to shield.  When I told my GP about this, she was surprised, but she said that the practice had no input into the decision making process.

My conclusion is that medical records are scanned either by relatively unskilled people, or maybe by a computer program, and if there's a mention of cancer in your records, then you get the shielding letter.  Your records almost certainly have not been examined by a qualified medical professional who has decided that you are at some special risk.

I just received a text yesterday offering a flu jab (which I normally get offered) which started 'as somebody who's shielding'.

Thanks both, I may give my GP a call and see what they say.

Let's us know what your GP says.  I'd be really interested to know if you get the same story that I got from my GP.

I don't get why on the sheilding letter it said anyone with blood cancer at ANY stage of treatment my Doctor said this was why I was given a letter becuase that pretty much means if you've ever had a blood cancer.

I'm kind of in the opposite place to where I was in April I kind of want the letter to sheild now but now that I want it I doubt it will happen. :mischief: