-
A woman, 24, discovered she had ovarian cancer after her stomach pain got so bad she went to the ER.
-
Doctors provided an ultrasound, which found two tumors on Chloe Etheridge’s ovaries.
-
Etheridge told SWNS that she “ignored” her pain for months because she didn’t know cancer could cause it.
A 24-year-old woman who “ignored” her bloating and stomach pain for months was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, according to a report.
Chloe Etheridge, from the UK, initially experienced bloating and abdominal pain in December 2021. In April 2022, her stomach pain was so bad she went to the emergency room, she told the South West News Service.
Doctors arranged an ultrasound, which found two tumors on her ovaries. One was seven inches long and the other was about four inches long, she told SWNS.
‘I don’t think young women know the symptoms of ovarian cancer’
Three months later, on July 11, 2022, doctors told Etheridge she had ovarian germ cell cancer, a rare form of the disease typically diagnosed during adolescence, though anyone over the age of one can get it, according to the National Institutes of Health’s Information Center. for genetic and rare diseases.
In general, ovarian cancer is diagnosed after menopause and is rare in people under 40 years of age to develop the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. It estimates that 19,710 women in the US will be newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2023 and that approximately 13,270 women will die from the disease.
Symptoms of germ cell ovarian cancer, which affects fewer than 1,000 people in the U.S., include: a pelvic mass, fever, vaginal bleeding, and abdominal pain, says GARD.
Symptoms of other types of ovarian cancer include pelvic or back pain, bloating and feeling “full too quickly,” according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Other conditions can cause these symptoms, but “the only way to know is to talk to your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare provider,” the CDC states.
Etheridge told SWNS she ignored her symptoms because she didn’t realize they could be caused by cancer. “I don’t think young women know the symptoms of ovarian cancer,” she said.
Chemotherapy was ‘brutal’
Ovarian cancer treatment depends on the type of cancer and how far it has spread, but includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and surgery. Etheridge began chemotherapy for six months the day after she was diagnosed.
“It was incredibly brutal. My chemotherapy had seven different chemical components. The side effects were terrible, I had nausea, fatigue, hearing loss – I still can’t hear some frequencies now,” she said.
Etheridge had surgery on January 11 to try and remove as much of the tumor as possible.
She told SWNS the procedure went “very well” and she is “expected to make a full recovery.”
According to the ACS, ovarian germ cell tumors often have a “good outlook,” with more than 90% of people with the condition living more than five years after diagnosis.
Etheridge shared her story to raise awareness: “I think for women, because we menstruate, it’s assumed we’re meant to live with pain, but that shouldn’t be the case.”
Read the original article on Business Insider