Barbara
Barbara agreed to take part in the 100,000 Genomes Project after she was diagnosed with a particular type of womb cancer. She hopes that taking part will help improve understanding of the various causes of diseases such as cancer.
Barbara first learned about the 100,000 Genomes Project after she was diagnosed with cancer of her womb lining. After her first biopsy, she received a call informing her of the project. When the result of her biopsy confirmed her cancer diagnosis, the surgeons explained what the 100,000 Genomes Project was and that it would involve taking tissue and blood samples during her operation.
Barbara accepted the information she received and agreed to take part without giving it too much thought, because she said her mind was still on her diagnosis and what was going to happen in the future. She didn’t always understand what was being required for the project so had to ask for further explanation. Even though it was a lot to take in, Barbara feels that the project leaflets were helpful and contained a lot of information. While Barbara didn’t mind agreeing to the study when they asked her, she thinks it would have been helpful to have been given the information to take home and think about, rather than being approached in an appointment.
Despite this, Barbara feels that taking part in the study will help understand the various causes of illnesses such as cancer. She isn’t sure whether her type of cancer is hereditary, but feels that if it is, then it is worth taking part in the study. She has three daughters and she thinks it will have been worth taking part if the information may help them in the future.