Kathie Parkinson, a Harrow resident, found an unexpected way to cope with her cancer journey—through baking.
As she progressed through diagnosis and treatment, she started a blog called Cancer Cakes, where she shared her experiences, paired with recipes she created during significant moments of her treatment. From “Cherry tart day,” marking a callback after a mammogram, to a “Raspberry blue marble Sci-Fi cake” with edible glitter as she approached surgery, Kathie’s journey was a mix of medical challenges and culinary creations.
Kathie, now cancer-free, is supporting Cancer Research UK’s campaign to raise awareness and funds for research. This October marks the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the BRCA genes, a milestone in understanding how genetic mutations can increase the risk of developing cancers like breast, ovarian, and pancreatic cancers.
Reflecting on her own experience, Kathie, 64, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, stressed the importance of breakthroughs like the BRCA gene discovery. She underwent a lumpectomy and radiotherapy and is now taking Letrozole, a drug trialed by Cancer Research UK to prevent the return of breast cancer. Kathie also participated in BRCA-DIRECT, a study offering home testing kits for BRCA gene mutations, a step she took with the support of her family.
“Genetics had never entered my head before this point,” Kathie said. “It was just a saliva test. I was isolating before my operation anyway, so Chris just dropped it in the post box. It was incredibly stressful waiting for the results, but it was worth it. The more info you have, the easier it is to deal with whatever the outcome is.”
Fortunately, Kathie tested negative for the BRCA gene mutation. However, she’s sharing her experience during Breast Cancer Awareness Month to raise awareness of the impact of research. “Advances like this simply wouldn’t be possible without regular monthly donations from the public,” she said. “This vital work needs our support to help create more ‘Eureka!’ moments.”
Kathie also acknowledged the life-saving potential of the new family of drugs, PARP inhibitors, developed by Cancer Research UK. These are often used to treat people with faulty BRCA-driven cancers, and researchers are exploring their potential for other types of cancer.
Lynn Daly, a spokesperson for Cancer Research UK, highlighted the importance of ongoing support. “We’re grateful to Kathie for helping to highlight the enormous difference a regular income makes to our work. It means we can plan ahead, committing to long-term research projects with huge potential to help save more lives.”
Cancer Research UK encourages donations to continue funding research that could save lives. For more information or to donate, visit cruk.org/donate.
Every year, around 36,500 people in London are diagnosed with cancer, making it clear that continued research and support are essential to improving outcomes.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
Harrow Online reaches hundreds of thousands of readers each month and has a social media audience of more than 200,000 followers.
For news tips, press releases or enquiries, contact Chris at info@harrowonline.org.
