hi holly please dont let the doctors fob you off make them do further tests. My lovely 19 yr old sis in law has just been diagnosed with ovarian cancer. She had a tumor come up under her ribs and for the past year the doctors told her it was something caled teize syndrome. She went to the doctors over 10 times when it didnt get better and they maintained their story. Finally two weeks ago one doctor took her seriously and sent her for chest x ray and blood tests her xray came back as abnormal as did her bloods he immediatly refered her her to a respitory specailist and told us he thought it was lung cancer. She was admitted to hospital last week where they did a ct scan and found the cancer started in her ovaries and has got so advanced its spread to her lungs liver stomache and kidneys. We are devestated and so angry at the doctors. I dont want to scare you and probably yours is not cancer as it is very rare but i feel awareness does need to be raised and doctors take these things more seriously. I wish you all the best xx

Hello Holly, My mums first signs that something was wrong was Bloated belly, tiredness, backache, flatulence, i would advise that the bloated belly sympton is an important sympton to consider, simply as i have since met an old work chum who's mum was recently diagnosed with cancer and when we compared notes she also started off with a bloated belly. It can be very frustrating to get a doctor to listen and take early action as they seem to think anything wrong in our belly region is simply part of being a female with reproductive parts that play up once in a while. if you have anything like this then please persist with your doctor, simply make yourself a nuisance until he/she listens, dont ever feel uncomfortable with persistance with a GP. We do not need to reiterate that early diagnosis is the key to any of this. you must keep on. I hope this has been of some help.

Hi,

I hope by now that you have managed to get to the Doctors and maybe have a few answers about whats going on.

But i just want to reiterate the point everyone is making, that although yes, its more common in older people, that cancer can affect anyone at any age.

I was 19 when i went to the doctor with chest pains, and even though i was coughing up blood, had shadows on my lungs in chest x-rays, could barely walk 100 yards etc, my local GP was so closed minded about young people and cancer, that it went months before i was finally diagnosed with Lung Cancer. And that was only because my parents took me straight to A&E and weren't leaving without an answer.

Basically, just make sure you check every possibility, no matter how unlikely it is, even if its just to put your mind at rest

Hope your ok

Take care x