Fighting cancer together with Macmillan's Coffee Morning

All of them have been personally affected by cancer, and with as many as almost one in two people expected to be diagnosed with the condition in their lifetime, the odds are high that most of us have too.

These familiar faces sat for acclaimed photographer Rankin, alongside other people whose names we may not know but whose experience of cancer is no less profound.

The results – a striking set of portraits – have already reached far beyond their remit – to mark the return of Macmillan Cancer Support’s annual flagship fundraising event, Coffee Morning, which takes place on Friday September 30.

Conversations captured through the images saw the pairings relive moments of their own diagnosis; grieve the loss of loved ones; share experiences of Macmillan support they’ve received; and discuss how to navigate life after cancer.

For news presenter and journalist, George Alagiah, the hardest question people ask him, he said, is how he copes.

Speaking about the impact of his own experience of living with stage four bowel cancer, which was first diagnosed in 2014 and subsequently spread to his lymph nodes and lungs, George said: “The challenge at first was getting my cancer diagnosis straight in my head; despite having so much going for me, a successful career and a loving family, here I was just being told I was dying.

"I wish I had known sooner just how much support Macmillan could have offered me throughout this whole experience, but I thought I had to be at the end of my life to ask for it.”

Personal trainer Mary Huckle, a mother-of-three, was also diagnosed with stage four cancer in the same year as George.“For years I’d always self-examined,” said Mary. “One day I found a small pea-sized lump in my right breast. Night after night, I’d lie in bed to check if it was still there, deliberating for a few weeks as to whether I should see my GP.

"Obviously now, my advice to anyone would be to get anything that’s not normal checked out immediately, even if the thought is terrifying. Early detection could be key to a better prognosis and less invasive treatment.

“One of the worst things about a cancer diagnosis was having to break the news to my loved ones. The ripple effects are always far reaching and just as traumatic for them. Many lonely, sleepless nights ensued. There was lots of crying, and that wasn’t just me, but there was no time to speculate.

"I just had to accept the situation and crack on with the process. In those early days I felt vulnerable and completely out of control, but I had no choice but to place my trust in the medical team looking after me.”

Actor Sheridan Smith met with nurse Suad Ibrahim, who also lost her father to cancer.

“My father was an incredibly strong-minded and proud man and was quite reluctant to seek any kind of support when he first received his diagnosis,” said Suad. "However, his relationship with his Macmillan nurse Sarah was unlike any other I’d seen. He shared things with her about his health and final wishes that he found too difficult to share with us.”

After losing loved ones to cancer, Sheridan Smith has backed Macmillan’s Coffee Morning event for several years.