Claire's Wishes

05/02/2025

Cancer touches millions of lives in countless ways but it doesn't define who we are. We are more than a disease, more than a statistic. The new World Cancer Day campaign 2025-27 “United by Unique” places people at the centre of care and will explore new ways of making a difference. It offers a three- year journey from raising awareness to taking action.

Cancer is more than just a medical diagnosis—it’s a deeply personal matter. Behind every diagnosis lies a unique human story - stories of grief, pain, healing, resilience, love and more. That’s why a people-centred approach to cancer care that fully integrates each individual’s unique needs, with compassion and empathy, leads to the best health outcomes.

Join us at Claire's Wishes as we embark on our journey of raising awareness and taking action to highlight Krukenberg Tumours.

World Cancer Day is an initiative of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC).

For World Cancer Day 2025-2027, our United by Unique theme highlights the individuality of each cancer journey, advocating for health systems that place peop...

03/06/2024

The Krukenberg tumor, named after Friedrich Ernst Krukenberg (1871-1946), was initially believed to be a newly identified primary ovarian cancer. However, further investigation revealed that it was actually a malignancy metastatic to the o***y. In many parts of the world, approximately 10% of ovarian tumors are metastatic diseases, with nearly half of them being Krukenberg tumors. Interestingly, the incidence of Krukenberg tumors is higher in Japan, Korea, and China, where it accounts for approximately 18% of cases due to the greater prevalence of gastric cancer in these regions.

Krukenberg tumors can originate from various sites, including the stomach, appendix, breast, colon, small bowel, gallbladder, pancreas, and genitourinary system. Their spread typically occurs through lymphatics, although hematogenous dissemination or direct invasion can also occur. The proximity of the primary cancer to the ovaries and lymph nodes plays a role in determining the mode of spread. Interestingly, in some cases, the primary tumor remains elusive.

Symptoms associated with Krukenberg tumors may serve as the initial indication of cancer. These tumors can cause pain, bloating, ascites, irregular vaginal bleeding, and dyspareunia. Additionally, they may induce changes within the ovarian stroma, leading to hormone production.

Treatment of Krukenberg tumors depends on the biology of the primary cancer. Unfortunately, the prognosis is less favorable compared to other types of ovarian metastases or primary ovarian tumors. The mean survival following diagnosis is approximately 14 months.

Both surgery and pharmacologic therapy play roles in extending overall survival for some patients with Krukenberg tumors. Managing this advanced disease requires careful consideration of factors such as the tumor’s site of origin, the extent of metastatic spread, and the patient’s functional status.

23/03/2024

Our thoughts and best wishes are with Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales and her family and we wish her our very best, in her recovery.

Something especially close to our heart, having setup Claire's Wishes, following the passing of our own, Claire Keelagher, following her own battle with Krukenberg Tumours, and Cancer.

Kate releases video message saying she is having preventative chemotherapy after cancer was found in tests.

23/03/2024

Claire's Wishes is a Cancer Charity, setup to raise awareness and support people touched by Krukenberg Tumours, a cancer that affects mostly young women, in the prime of their lives.

The charity is founded in the name of Claire Elizabeth Keelagher (nee Comer), who passed away peacefully and surrounded by loved ones on the 10th January 2024, at just 36 years old.

Claire had been privately battling cancer since being diagnosed in August 2023 and we cannot tell you how proud we all are of her and how strong she has been throughout, showing strength, dignity and determination at very single stage, never losing sight of the fact that she had no intention of leaving us all, wearing a smile every step of the way; still ordering me around to the very end!!
We know that we all have to say goodbye to loved ones one day, but I never expected, at just 36 years old, in the prime of her life, that we would be having to say goodbye to our beautiful Claire and that Monty, her young son, would be left without his amazing mummy.

There aren’t really words to describe how we all feel about Claire, certainly none we feel that could do Claire the justice she deserves. Claire was genuinely the most incredible person. She was beautiful, kind, intelligent, considerate, patient, loyal, driven and most importantly incredibly strong; she truly was an amazing women; genuinely touching the lives of everyone that knew her.

Claire was diagnosed with a Krukenberg tumor, a rare and specific type of tumor that grows in the ovaries. However, a Krukenberg tumor isn’t strictly an ovarian cancer. These tumors are caused by another cancer, a source, usually found as a stomach cancer, such as in Claire’s case, that has spread (metastasized) to the ovaries or indeed other areas. Sadly, this type of Cancer is often, mainly seen in young women in their pre 40s; which is devastating when you are in the prime of your life.

Our hope is to develop Claire's Wishes (https://claireswishes.org/) as a non-profit organisation to help support and educate people around Krukenburg tumours and this type of Cancer, most importantly to raise awareness and show people what to look for to aid in early diagnosis. We will be looking for support in this regard in the coming months, as well as asking for donations to this, rather than flowers; more to follow on this in due course, the fundraising link can be found here: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=F4LK8BTP82V6Q

The charity has been setup by Claire’s husband, Martin Keelagher and Claire’s family and friends.

We will also be asking for people to share their memories of Claire, so that we can create a book for Monty to read when he is older, so that he can see, not just from us, but from others as well, how amazing she was as a person and would ask you email these to: [email protected] or of course, reach out to us through the page.

Love to all, Martin, Monty and all Claire’s friends and family ###