A FLINTSHIRE woman is urging young people not to sit on cancer symptoms after receiving a life-changing cancer diagnosis of her own.

Last year when Kathryn Rodwell was just 20, she was shocked when a scan found a mass in her chest and doctors diagnosed her with Hodgkin Lymphoma.

A course of intensive chemotherapy led to her being declared cancer-free in November, and she and her family celebrated.

But just two months later, in January 2020, she started to feel unwell and was devastated when tests confirmed that the cancer had returned.

Despite the huge challenges Kathryn – from Gwernaffield near Mold – has faced, and continues to face as her treatment continues, she’s keen to help others by bravely sharing her story as part of Teenage Cancer Trust’s #BestToCheck campaign.

The campaign aims to remind young people of the common signs and symptoms of cancer, and despite the pressure coronavirus has placed on the NHS, urges them to contact their GP at the earliest opportunity if they have concerns.

Kathryn was not aware of the key signs and symptoms of cancer in young people, and believes that this, combined with her focus on her studies, and some difficult experiences of primary care, caused a significant delay to her diagnosis.

Kathryn explains: “The first symptom I noticed was a persistent cough - so in January 2019 I gave up smoking and made it my New Year's resolution to get fit and healthy. As it happened things turned out quite differently.

“I still had the cough in early March, I was regularly having coughing fits, but I tried to put it to the back of my mind and pressed on as I was in the second year of studying for a maths degree, and was totally focused on doing the best I could.”

Kathryn goes on to explain how things got worse, with more frequent coughing and becoming really breathless.

She said: “My university's campus is on a hill and I noticed I had trouble getting to the top of it. I wondered if my weight was making the trip more difficult, or perhaps it was a chest infection. Then I started getting extremely tired. When I finished Uni I'd get back to my house, drop my bags, then immediately get into bed.

“I put it down to the pressure of the course at the time – my maths degree was intense, and I was struggling to keep up and working really hard. I seemed to always have a rational explanation for why I was feeling unwell and never for a moment thought it would be cancer.”

Looking back now, Kathryn says she can see that these were symptoms of cancer – but she just wasn’t aware of them.

She continued: “I’ve always had it drilled into me that what you need to do is to study hard, get a good degree and then a good job.

“So I thought to myself that if I could just get through the year and do my second year exams then I could finally rest and get better over the summer break.

“Then in around mid-April I reached my limit. l wasn't eating, I had no appetite. At its worst I was only eating half a sandwich a day, which was unusual as I’d describe myself as a big girl.

“I had been running on adrenaline at Uni, working so hard to keep up with my studies, that when I got home and finally rested I completely crashed. I wasn’t moving from the sofa – I was aching all over so much by this point that I didn’t want to move, and to make everything worse, I started waking up three times a night covered in sweat.

“My mum was really worried that I wasn’t able to take care of myself - and when I went back to Uni she came with me and stayed in my room. We headed back to the GP surgery the first chance we got. I was convinced I had TB – the previous year one of my flatmates was diagnosed and it matched some of the symptoms I had.

“I had listed all my symptoms ready to share with the GP - but he said he didn’t have time to look at them and said that everything that was happening was due to me being overweight. He made me feel silly, saying again that both my lungs sounded healthy, but I was persistent, and in the end, he agreed to send me for a blood test and chest X-ray.

“Although the very basic blood test came back fine, the X-ray and a later PET scan found that I had a 14 x 12 cm mass in my right lung cavity, and because of that, my right lung wasn’t inflating at all – and yet I’d been told that both my lungs sounded healthy! The cancer was the reason I was having trouble breathing.”

Kathryn now has some wise words to offer young people who are putting off a trip to the GP - or are not finding the advice from their GP particularly helpful.

She said: “I didn’t know what the main symptoms of cancer were, which is why I’m sharing my story to try and help other young people. Had I known I would have definitely sought help earlier.

“My advice is to listen to your body. If you think there’s something wrong, don’t neglect yourself, get it checked out, make the time even if you have got a lot of other things going on in your life.

“And please don’t let a GP with a bad attitude intimidate you. They don’t know everything – you know your body and what’s normal and what’s not. Be persistent and don’t get fobbed off. If you feel they aren’t listening to you, ask to see a different doctor.”

Cancer is the leading cause of death from disease in 13 to 24-year-olds but with early diagnosis, lives can be saved and the risk of developing other complications is reduced.

Through #BestToCheck, Teenage Cancer Trust is urging all young people to look out for:

• lumps, bumps or swellings

• unexplained tiredness

• mole changes

• persistent pain

• significant weight change.

Dr Louise Soanes, director of services at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “Cancer is thankfully rare in 13 to 24-year-olds, accounting for just 1% of all cancer diagnosis. However, because cancer is less common in young people, they often have to visit their doctor up to three times before they are referred to a specialist.

“Cancer referrals were down by as much as 75% in England across all age groups and though referral rates are recovering, there is no sign of coronavirus subsiding. We’re worried that young people’s chances of survival - or long-term consequences - could be affected as their cancer goes undiagnosed.

“Coronavirus doesn’t stop people getting cancer. Look out for lumps, bumps or swellings, unexplained tiredness, mole changes, persistent pain and significant weight change. If you are worried, contact your GP as soon as possible. Early diagnosis can save lives.”

Through its expert nurses, support teams and hospital units, Teenage Cancer Trust puts teenagers and young adults in the best possible place physically, mentally and emotionally. Through its campaign, the charity is also urging doctors to refer young people at the earliest stage of suspicion when presenting with signs or symptoms.