Stephen Dunn from Middleton is among the first patients to benefit from a pioneering new service enabling patients with pacemakers and other cardiac devices to safely undergo cancer treatments.
The specialist cardiac device service was launched in September 2023 at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust in Manchester.
Stephen, 72, a semi-retired truck and van driver, was diagnosed with melanoma in August 2024 after his wife Kay noticed that a mole on his lower back was getting bigger, and its colour and shape had changed. Following a prompt referral, he was seen at The Christie the following month.
However, a complication emerged. Stephen, who had been living with atrial fibrillation for many years with the help of medication, had been fitted with a pacemaker in 2022 after a routine HGV licence examination revealed heart failure. His heart function had dropped to just 14%, despite showing no outward symptoms.
Atrial fibrillation is a common heart rhythm problem which causes the upper chambers of the heart (atria) to beat irregularly and rapidly, potentially leading to blood clots and increasing the risk of stroke.
The pacemaker, vital for regulating Stephen’s heart rhythm, presented a significant challenge for the surgical team. Standard surgical tools like electrocautery – which use electrical currents to stop bleeding – can interfere with cardiac implantable electronic devices such as pacemakers and defibrillators.
Thanks to the newly established cardiac device service at The Christie, the procedure was able to go ahead safely and without delay. The team, made up of specialist cardiac physiologists, was present throughout Stephen’s surgery. They ensured the pacemaker was deactivated at the start of the procedure and then reprogrammed immediately afterwards in the operating theatre, maintaining Stephen’s safety throughout.
Stephen said: “The cardiac devices team were very calm and reassuring. They explained everything, which gave me the confidence to trust that they understood my heart condition as well as being a cancer patient.”
The surgery was a success, and Stephen has since been told he does not currently require further cancer treatment. “I’m living with the mindset that for now, I’m cancer-free,” he added.
Stephen praised the speed and co-ordination of his care: “The Christie started my treatment within just over a week of my first appointment. Every department, including the cardiac device team, shared results quickly and effectively. At the most stressful of times, the situation was explained with compassion and empathy. I felt confident that the whole team were doing their utmost to keep me alive and well.”
Stephen, a devoted Manchester United fan who has travelled extensively in Europe and has two grown-up daughters will remain under follow-up care at The Christie. He and his wife Kay, who have been married for 31 years, love visiting Italy, and for many years visited at least twice a year.
