Two 'mild' symptoms that helped doctor diagnose here own stage 4 cancer

A gynaecologist who diagnosed herself with stage 4 colon cancer has highlighted two critical symptoms that led to her discovery. Dr Lauren Juyia, aged 37, was diagnosed in 2022 after recognising the signs herself.

Despite only experiencing two "mild" symptoms, she is now emphasising the importance of these early indicators, concerned that others might overlook them as she initially did. She began feeling unusually fatigued in August 2022, which she first thought was due to ageing and a hectic lifestyle.

However, when this fatigue was coupled with a "sense of pelvic heaviness", she suspected something was wrong. This "heaviness" later developed into what Dr Juyia referred to as a "pelvic mass", prompting her to arrange for an ultrasound.

The scan revealed abnormally large masses near her ovary, leading to the diagnosis of colon cancer. In an interview with Good Morning America, she expressed her shock: "Having a background in obstetrics, we describe size by weeks of pregnancy, and so I was like, 'Oh my God, I have a 16-week-size mass'. From experience, I could tell that this was my ovary."

Dr Juyia sought further medical advice and multiple opinions, reports the Express. She confessed that when the mass grew from 8cm to 24cm in just a fortnight, she realised the prognosis was likely dire. Dr Juyia acknowledged she had "never seen anything benign" expand so swiftly, which raised her suspicions of cancer.

Initially, she thought it might be ovarian cancer due to where the growths were situated. By September 2022, a major operation was necessary to remove the masses, which had by then affected multiple organs including her ovaries, uterus, appendix, and even the abdominal area.

Despite the severity of the growths, Dr Juyia experienced only mild symptoms—mainly a feeling of "pelvic heaviness" and ongoing tiredness. "I was a little tired in the afternoon for about two months previous to this and as a mum with two little kids - I had been recently nursing them, they were still waking up in the night, I work full time - I didn't think anything of saying, 'Oh, I think I need a tea in the afternoon'. Whereas maybe someone in their 50s or 60s would be much more tired from stage 4 tumours taking up their energy," she reflected.

The NHS points out other potential indicators of colon or bowel cancer could include changes in stool such as persistent diarrhoea or constipation, rectal bleeding or blood in stools, abdominal pain, and unexplained weight loss.

Dr Juyia, after being diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer, underwent a tough six-month chemotherapy regimen. Despite the challenges, she continued to work, finding comfort in the care of her patients, which she described as "therapeutic".

In March last year, she had surgery to remove an inactive tumour and by April, was declared free of disease. Now, the mother of two is determined to spread awareness about early symptoms of the disease, such as fatigue and a feeling of "pelvic heaviness", and encourages especially younger people to be alert.

In the UK, bowel cancer screening programmes differ by region; England offers screenings every two years to those aged 54-74, with plans to lower the age to 50. Wales and Scotland already provide screenings for individuals between 50 and 74 years old.