Woman able to understand cancer diagnosis thanks to ‘Grey’s Anatomy’

By Faye Mayern

A young woman had to rely on TV medical drama "Grey's Anatomy" to understand her cancer diagnosis after poor communication from doctors.

Patrycja Sobanska was diagnosed with a type of fast-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma when she was 19.

Her first symptom was a pea-sized lump on her neck, but it wasn't until she insisted on a referral to hospital that she received the devastating news she had cancer.

Patrycja, now 20, found the moment especially difficult, as she didn’t understand what the doctors were telling her with the medical jargon.

Instead, she relied on her knowledge from the long-running US series, starring Ellen Pompeo, and is now calling for better communication among young people.

Patrycja, from Peterborough in Cambs., said: "I was already so emotional because I've never been in a hospital overnight by myself and I couldn't have anyone with me.

“Then when my dad arrived the doctor told us it was either lymphoma or sarcoma.

"I didn't know what sarcoma was. I knew what lymphoma was, purely because I've watched Grey's Anatomy.

"So, it kind of clicked in my head, I was like, that's cancer, isn’t it? My dad and I just kind of paused and were like: ‘What, that's not possible’.

"And then I just started bawling my eyes out. I think that was just the normal reaction. I just didn't know what to do."

Patrycja initially thought her pea-sized lump could be an infection, but visited her GP four times when it didn't go away.

She developed jaundice and insisted on a referral to hospital where she had a CT scan.

In October 2024, she was diagnosed with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) - a type of fast-growing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Patrycja said: “In the moment I still didn’t know what it was. I asked: ‘So, is that cancer? Have I got cancer?’ but they never said the words: ‘You've got cancer’.

More from this section

Skinny isn’t the same as strong

Woman and her dog both have breast cancer

What should you do if your medication isn’t covered by insurance? 4 tips and tactics, plus how to file an appeal

"They've just kind of beat around the bush.

"I asked again whether it was cancer and they just told me it was either lymphoma or sarcoma.

"I started Googling because I wasn’t getting the information I needed.

“When they told me I had lymphoma they said something along the lines of ‘the type of cancer you have isn’t even that bad’. There wasn’t any compassion.

“I think soft skills training is needed.”

Greys Anatomy, which Patrycja used to inform her knowledge of her diagnosis, follows Dr Meredith Grey from her beginnings as a surgical intern to a fully-qualified doctor.

After what Patrycja describes as a ‘difficult two weeks’ at Peterborough City Hospital she was grateful to be transferred to the C9 Teenage Cancer Trust unit at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge.

The unit is specially designed for 14–24-year-olds and staffed by experts in their care where she found the care and communication much improved.

She added: “The doctor who came in the first day I was there explained everything to me – he was absolutely brilliant.

“I was treated with R-CHOP, which is a type of chemotherapy combination used to treat types of lymphomas.

"It’s a combination of five drugs, one being a steroid, another being targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and the red devil chemotherapy.

“One of the Junior Sisters working on the day unit, Sandra, would always explain all of the chemotherapy and treatments I was having on the ward.

"It didn’t matter if it was my first time having chemo or my last, she remembered to take me through every step every time to ensure I was comfortable.”

Thankfully, her treatment was successful and Patrycja has now been in remission for a year.

Dr. Louise Soanes, Chief Nurse at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “The way in which we talk about and explain cancer is so important, but it’s a difficult subject and can be incredibly challenging.

“However, one conversation can change everything for a young person. The right words at the right time can make all the difference - and we must all do our best to get it right."