In a shocking case of misdiagnosis, a 24-year-old woman in the UK was told by doctors that she was pregnant when she had ovarian cancer. According to BBC, Emma Colledge visited a doctor in February 2022 after experiencing bloating and frequent toilet visits. She thought it was probably due to allergies or irritable bowel syndrome.
Doctors told her she had a bloated stomach because she was pregnant, but her pregnancy tests came back negative.
Ms Colledge said: ''I went to the doctors in May and they told me I was pregnant. I knew I wasn't and the test confirmed that. I know people say 'don't Google it', but when I Googled my symptoms it always said that ovarian cancer is found in people mostly aged 50 and over.''
Ms Colledge was given an appointment for further investigations, but before she could go to it, the pain became intense. She then had an ultrasound which showed she had a cyst in her stomach. She was eventually diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
Ms Colledge said, ''When I was first diagnosed, I was questioning whether I'd make it to my 24th birthday, or if I'd die tomorrow. But I am very strong-willed. I'm stubborn and I told myself that this isn't my time to go, and I'm making sure of that.''
''It had spread to my stomach and the stomach lining. The cyst was so big that they couldn't see anything else because it had started crushing my kidneys. I thought I was too young to get ovarian cancer. It's not common. But it was,'' she added.
She then underwent a five-and-a-half-hour operation to remove the cyst and the ovary that was attached to it. She also had another surgery that took over nine hours and included a hysterectomy, and removal of her appendix, spleen and part of her bowel, as per Metro.
Further, she had six rounds of chemotherapy at the Teenage Cancer Trust unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. Her last chemotherapy treatment was in 2023 and scans since then have shown no sign of cancer returning.
The Teenage Cancer Trust said ovarian cancer was getting more common in young people. ''Knowing the signs of ovarian cancer is a good idea, but remember that lots of conditions less serious than cancer can also cause these symptoms,'' the trust said.
Ms Colledge is now using her experience to raise awareness about the issue and asking young women to be mindful of ovarian cancer symptoms. Symptoms included pain around the pelvis and tummy, bloating and struggling to eat because you feel full quickly.
