A Dundee dentist, who beat cancer 24 years ago, has died in Ninewells Hospital after a recurrence of Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Ann Edwards (50), who has been a community dentist working in NHS clinics throughout Dundee since she qualified almost 30 years ago, died on Wednesday.
The mother-of-two was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma three months ago and was halfway through a course of chemotherapy for the cancer when she developed pneumonia and her compromised immune system could not fight it.
Her husband Donald said it was very unusual to get Hodgkin’s lymphoma twice.
His wife of 26 years had first contracted the disease in 1986 and had beaten it but, 24 years later, it came back following a period of ill-health last year.
Mrs Edwards had two operations on her elbow last year and had been off work for 10 months due to trapped nerves that caused pain in her elbow.
She had only been back to work for five weeks when a bad cough led to various medical investigations and the discovery of the re-emergence of cancer.
Brought up in the Edinburgh area, Mrs Edwards studied dentistry at Dundee University and then got a job as a community dentist.
Her husband said it was the only job she ever wanted to do and, after qualifying, she applied for one job and got it, and had never applied for another.
She ran clinics in Charleston, Broughty Ferry, Kirkton, Wallacetown and at King’s Cross Hospital. Latterly she was at Dundee University’s School of Dentistry in Park Place.
Mrs Edwards is survived by her husband, daughter Kate (19) and son Sam (17), both students in Glasgow.