At 24 years old, Ella Hines has faced more challenges than most people her age.

Ella, who lives in Wantage, has already beaten two different types of cancer but statistics show that she has a high chance of facing it again.

Two years ago, Ella was diagnosed with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS), a genetic condition that gives women a 90 per cent chance and men a 70 per cent chance of developing cancer in their lifetimes.

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A defect in their TP53 gene means their bodies struggle to suppress tumours.

Ella’s first diagnosis came at just nine months old when her parents were given the devastating news that she had developed adrenal cortical cancer - a rare cancer of the adrenal glands.

Having beaten that, at 23 she faced it for the second time in the form of breast cancer.

Ella said: “I’ve already beaten cancer twice and research means there are more successful treatments for different types of cancer and more options available.

“But there’s currently no cure for LFS and that’s why it’s so important to continue researching.”

Ella is now urging people to support a new campaign that shines a light on the invaluable impact that cancer breakthroughs have on the lives of people like her.  

Her call comes as data released by Cancer Research UK revealed that around 1.2 million UK deaths from cancer have been avoided since the mid-1980s – due to advances in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.  

Ella, who believes she owes her life to drugs that Cancer Research UK helped to develop, has now been given new hope with news of a clinical trial aimed at people with LFS.

She’s backing the charity’s ‘Together we are beating cancer’ campaign to help ensure life-saving progress like this continues.  

Ella said: “Before I was diagnosed, I had never heard of Li-Fraumeni Syndrome and did a lot of research and joined support groups.

“But in the process, I found a lot of negativity and initially thought, ‘This is going to limit my future’.

“Neither of my parents have the faulty gene and we had no idea that it was something I could have.

“I’d had cancer as a baby and then when a family member developed a similar type, it raised concerns that two rare cancers in the family could indicate a genetic fault.”

TP53 is the most important anti-cancer gene in the body and its job is to stop cells becoming cancerous after they become damaged or stressed. 

Ella said: “For most people with cancer, the gene is only faulty in their cancer cells, but for people with LFS, it is faulty in all the cells in the body.

“When I knew how likely I was to develop cancer again in the future, I opted to have a mastectomy at the age of 22 as a preventative measure.

“But before I got the chance to stop any tumours developing, my doctors discovered I already had breast cancer.

“I could cope with the medical side of it all, having the mastectomy and six rounds of chemotherapy.

“But the hardest part was losing my hair and my eyelashes for a while which then led to the complete loss of my self-confidence.

“I’d only been with my partner for two months and having him shave my hair off was very hard. I lost myself and my happiness.

“Now I look much more like myself again and my eyebrows and eyelashes have grown back so I feel more like me.”

Herald Series: Professor Sarah BlagdenProfessor Sarah Blagden (Image: Cancer Research UK)

Ella is still receiving treatments to prevent her breast cancer returning - herceptin for a year as well as tamoxifen, a type of hormone therapy, for the next ten years.

Because of her genetic condition, every year Ella also receives a full body scan to help spot any new signs of cancer which she says always remains a worrying time.

This summer, Ella was given new hope when she was told she was likely to be accepted on a brand-new clinical trial, supported by Cancer Research UK, which is testing an anti-diabetes drug that could help people with LFS.

The study, is funded by a partnership between the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)and Medical Research Council (MRC). 

Laboratory studies have shown that the diabetes drug ‘metformin’ is promising in reducing the risk of people with LFS developing cancer.

It is hoped the MILI trial (Metformin in Li-Fraumeni) will help to reduce cancer occurrence in people with the genetic condition.

The trial is part of a partnership between Oxford’s Oncology Clinical Trials Office (OCTO) and the Primary Care Clinical Trials Unit (PC-CTU), to deliver a portfolio of precision prevention and early detection cancer trials. 

It’s the first dedicated unit in the UK to do so and Cancer Research UK recently invested £1million in the project over five years. 

Director of OCTO at the University of Oxford, Professor Sarah Blagden, said: “Currently there are no treatments to prevent cancer in those with Li-Fraumeni Syndrome (LFS). The MILI trial aims to enrol 224 patients with LFS in the UK. A parallel trial will be run in the US too.  

 “I am delighted that we have been awarded this funding from Cancer Research UK. This investment will allow us to work with scientists within and outside Oxford to develop ways to prevent cancer or detect it at earlier stages. 

“This is particularly important for people who have risk factors and who currently live in fear of developing cancer. By working closely with our primary care team, we intend to increase our geographical reach to involve people across the entirety of the UK.”  

Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for the South East, Elisa Mitchell, said: “Thanks to the generosity and commitment of our supporters, together, we are beating cancer. 

“Our research breakthroughs mean every day, people are being diagnosed earlier, have access to kinder and more effective treatments, and some cancers are prevented completely. 

"As our new campaign shows, this all adds up to more moments with the people we love – and we’re grateful to Ella for sharing her own experience."