Jane Swarbrigg, a 44-year-old mother of two from Mullingar, is undergoing stage four bowel cancer treatment after doctors discovered the disease had spread to her liver and lungs. Diagnosed five months after experiencing persistent fatigue and low iron levels, she underwent surgery in New York last week to receive targeted liver therapy.
Diagnosis and Hospital Treatment in Dublin
Ms Swarbrigg received her initial diagnosis after noticing blood in her stool, which prompted a referral for a colonoscopy at St James’s Hospital in Dublin. Medical scans revealed an initial tumour, and follow-up tests five days later confirmed that the cancer was stage four and had spread to her liver and lungs. During the summer, she completed eight rounds of chemotherapy under the care of an oncology team in Dublin.
Specialised Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre
Following coordination between her Dublin oncologist and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in New York, Ms Swarbrigg travelled to the United States for specialised intervention. Surgeons at the New York facility implanted a Hepatic Arterial Infusion pump into her body. The device delivers chemotherapy directly to the liver at concentrations up to 1,000 times higher than standard systemic treatments. She plans to continue monthly chemotherapy sessions in New York while coordinating ongoing care with her medical team in Dublin.
Public Awareness and Symptoms Advocacy
As the person who brought the Inglot makeup brand to Ireland, Ms Swarbrigg is using her social media platform to urge women to monitor persistent symptoms and trust their instincts regarding health concerns. She noted that persistent low iron and fatigue during her daily routine mirrored symptoms she experienced during previous pregnancies, delaying her initial cancer screening. She continues to recover in New York while receiving support from her family, husband Brian, and the community in Mullingar.
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