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My Doctors Dismissed My Symptoms — Now I Have Stage 4 Cancer
Scott has since undergone six months of chemotherapy and surgery to remove a tumor from his liver. Richard Scott / SWNS"I'm now reliant on Anny, and she's had to drop hours at work to help look after me," Scott explained.
"I face an uncertain future, but am determined to give everything I can to fight this disease and spend as much time possible with my family."
The couple has two daughters, ages 6 and 10.
"We used to do everything as a family — go on holidays, trips, days out, but that's all on hold at the minute because of my illness," Scott noted.
"I've tried to remain as positive as I can, not only for myself and my recovery, but for Anny and the children."
Scott said he also contacted a medical negligence lawyer to help him investigate why it took so long for him to be diagnosed with cancer.
He wants to help other people know the warning signs of bowel cancer.
"It's vital that people don't think they have to go through a cancer diagnosis alone, as help and support are available," he concluded.
Doctors Told Me I Was Just Stressed But Actually I've Got Stage-four Cancer – And I Only Found Out After Collapsing In A Supermarket
An English teacher who collapsed in a supermarket after being told by doctors that her symptoms were down to stress has been diagnosed with a stage four cancer.
Mollie Mulheron, 24, had recently returned from travelling in the Galapagos Islands, where she began suffering difficulty breathing and swallowing.
Despite having such trouble that she almost drowned while snorkelling, medics on the islands told her the issues were 'in her head' and that she was 'too stressed'.
She returned to the UK on February 4, after nine months abroad, and within 48 hours began vomiting and collapsed in a Booths supermarket in North Yorkshire.
Ms Mulheron was rushed to Airedale Hospital in Steeton, near Bradford, where doctors found a 15cm tumour over her heart and lungs and diagnosed her with stage four non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Mollie Mulheron, 24, had recently returned from travelling in the Galapagos Islands - where she began suffering from symptoms including trouble breathing and swallowing (Pictured in hospital)
Ms Mulheron returned to the UK on February 4 and within 48 hours began vomiting and collapsed in a Booths supermarket, in North Yorkshire (Pictured on her travels in South America)
Despite having such difficulty breathing that she almost drowned while snorkelling, doctors told her the issues were 'in her head' and that she was 'too stressed' (Pictured is a rash she developed while travelling, one of her cancer symptoms)
'I just cried and screamed and screamed – it was out of nowhere, I knew something was wrong but I didn't think it was that wrong,' Ms Mulheron said.
Lymphoma is cancer of the lymphatic system, which is the body's disease-fighting network.
More than 14,000 people in the UK and 80,000 in the US receive a diagnosis of NHL each year, according to charities.
It is a rare type of cancer, making up just 4 per cent of all UK cases.
Ms Mulheron, from Skipton, North Yorkshire, said her shock diagnosis was 'the worst news of my life, I can't even explain how it felt now'.
She added: 'I still can't comprehend it now – [when I was told] I was screaming to my mum about my future plans, how I wanted to be a mum and get married, all I could do was stare at the wall and cry and scream.'
Due to the aggressiveness of her cancer, Ms Mulheron was unable to undergo cryopreservation – preserving biological material by cooling it to very low temperatures – to protect her fertility before she started chemo on February 21.
Doctors instead gave her an injection to put her in a temporary early menopause in the hope that once chemo was completed, she could conceive.
She said this was 'the worst part for me as I always wanted to be a mum'.
Ms Mulheron had flown to the Galapagos Islands to pursue her dream of travelling.
However, while out there she began to experience strange symptoms, including rashes.
She was told there weren't enough students for her to teach, so flew back to the UK on February 4.
She collapsed two days later and was taken to hospital in an ambulance before undergoing blood tests, an X-ray and CT scans.
Ms Mulheron was rushed to Airedale Hospital – where doctors found a 15cm tumour over her heart and lungs (Pictured: Her bruised arm in hospital in West Yorkshire)
Due to the aggressiveness of her cancer, Ms Mulheron was unable to undergo cryopreservation – preserving biological material by cooling it to very low temperatures – to protect her fertility before she started chemo on February 21 (pictured in the Galapagos)
'I just cried and screamed and screamed – it was out of nowhere, I knew something was wrong but I didn't think it was that wrong,' Ms Mulheron said
It is not clear why she collapsed.
Ms Mulheron was told she had cancer on February 7 and on February 17 medics confirmed it was NHL.
She was prescribed steroids to stop the tumour from growing any more and due to the advanced state of the tumour, swiftly began chemotherapy.
'I've been fit and healthy my whole life, I've always been completely fine – I don't know what has caused this, I'm healthy and young, three weeks ago I was in Galapagos living my best life', she added.
Doctors told Ms Mulheron they are hopeful they can treat the cancer as there are many options due to her being young, fit and healthy.
Statistics suggest stage four NHL has a five-year survival rate of around 64 per cent.
What is lymphoma?Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymph nodes, which is the body's disease-fighting network.
That network consists of the spleen, bone marrow, lymph nodes and thymus gland.
There are various types of lymphoma, but two main ones: non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin.
Both have much better prognoses than many types of cancer.
WHAT IS HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?
Hodgkin lymphoma is a type of cancer that starts in the white blood cells. It is named after Thomas Hodgkin, an English doctor who first identified the disease in 1832.
It affects around 2,000 people each year in the UK, and 8,500 a year in the US.
Hodgkin lymphoma is most common between the ages of 20 and 24, and 75 and 79.
Five-year survival rates:
The survival rates are much more favourable than most other cancers.
Symptoms include:
Risk factors:
Treatment:
WHAT IS NON-HODGKIN LYMPHOMA?
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma can occur anywhere in the body but is usually first noticed in the lymph nodes around sufferers' necks.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma affects around 14,000 new people every year in the UK. In the US, more than 80,000 people are diagnosed annually.
It is more common in males than females, and it is commonly diagnosed either in a patient's early 20s or after the age of 55.
Five-year survival rates:
Survival can vary widely with NHL.
The general survival rate for five years is 70 percent, and the chance of living 10 years is approximately 60 percent.
Symptoms include:
Risk factors:
Treatment:
It depends on the number and locations of the body affected by Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Therapy typically includes chemotherapy.
What Is The Outlook For Stage 4 Cancer?
Stage 4 is the most severe stage of cancer, with the highest risk of mortality. However, many factors affect a person's life expectancy, including the type of cancer. For prostate cancer, for instance, the 5-year life expectancy is 32%, but for pancreatic cancer it is 3%.
In this article, we describe what stage 4 cancer is and the survival rates for people with different types of cancer at this stage. We also look into forms of support available for people with cancer and their loved ones.
Stage 4 cancer is not always terminal. It is usually advanced and requires more aggressive treatment.
Terminal cancer refers to cancer that is not curable and eventually results in death. Some may refer to it as end stage cancer. If a doctor determines that cancer is terminal, this usually means that the cancer is so advanced that treatment options focus on controlling rather than curing the cancer. More severe cancers are more likely to be terminal.
Survival rates convey the likelihood of living for a certain period, such as 5 years, after a doctor diagnoses cancer. The 5-year survival rate for people with breast cancer that has spread to distant areas of the body is 28%, meaning that 28% of people survive for this period.
The same figure for people with prostate cancer that has spread to distant areas is 32%, the American Cancer Society reports.
Survival rates can vary, based on the type of cancer. The 5-year survival rate for mesothelioma that has spread to distant areas is 7%. For distant pancreatic cancer, this rate is 3%.
It is worth noting, however, that these rates are based on large quantities of data obtained in the past. They may not reflect recent advances in treatment and care. Also, a wide range of factors influence each person's life expectancy.
Determining the severity of cancer and its stage is a complex process. Doctors are still learning about all the factors that affect how cancer develops and affects the body. Predicting life expectancy is very difficult. The doctor will consider many variables, such as the type of cancer, its location, and whether the person has any other underlying health conditions.
Learn more about how doctors determine the stages of cancer.
Doctors usually describe a person's outlook using the 5-year survival rate. These are calculated based on data from thousands of other people with a similar cancer at a similar stage.
The original location of the cancer determines its type. Survival rates vary, depending on the type of cancer and how far it has spread within the body.
Below, we describe the survival rates for some of the most common forms of cancer in stage 4:
BreastBreast cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the United States. In 2018, there were 254,744 new cases of breast cancer among females in the country.
The American Cancer Society estimate that the 5-year survival rate for people with breast cancer that has spread to distant areas of the body is 28%.
LungThere are two main types of lung cancer: small cell and non-small cell. Most cases are non-small cell.
According to the American Cancer Society, the average 5-year survival rate for people with non-small cell lung cancer that has spread to distant areas is 6%. For distant small cell lung cancer, the 5-year survival rate is 3%.
However, it is important to note that these figures do not reflect recent advances in treatment.
ColorectalColorectal cancer affects the colon or rectal areas and is generally treatable in its early stages. Around 149,500 new cases of colorectal cancer were diagnosed in the U.S. In 2021.
The American Cancer Society reports that the 5-year survival rate for colorectal cancer that has spread to distant areas is 14–16%.
ProstateProstate cancer is the most common form of cancer among men in the U.S. The prostate is a small gland in the pelvis. If the cancer spreads to distant areas, the 5-year survival rate is 30%.
The treatment plan for stage 4 cancer depends on the type and how far it has spread. Some treatments aim to improve the person's quality of life and control their symptoms. Others aim to stop the cancer's growth.
Treatments at this stage might include:
Stage 4 is the most severe stage of cancer. Metastatic cancer is another name for this stage. It conveys that the cancer has metastasized — spread to distant areas of the body.
Cancer is a group of diseases that cause rapid cell growth. Cancerous cells grow and reproduce uncontrollably in a certain area of the body, forming a tumor. As a tumor grows, the cancerous cells can spread to other areas of the body.
Doctors typically use a staging system to determine how severe a case of cancer is. This helps them determine the best course of treatment.
A range of tests can help determine the stage of cancer. They include:
Doctors take other factors into account, too, including:
Together, this information helps determine whether cancer is less advanced, at stage 1, very advanced, at stage 4, or somewhere in between.
Stage 4 is the most severe stage of cancer, but it is not always terminal. Doctors use a wide range of factors to classify cancer's stage, including the size and locations of tumors and the person's overall health.
Generally, the likelihood of long-term survival decreases as cancer spreads farther from its point of origin. But many personal factors can affect a person's outlook. While survival rates are a guide, a person's medical team can provide a clearer picture of the overall outlook.
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