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A 24-year-old woman found out she had ovarian cancer after her stomach pain got so bad she went to the emergency room.
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Doctors arranged for an ultrasound, which found two tumors on Chloe Etheridge’s ovaries.
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Etheridge told SWNS she had «ignored» her pain for months because she didn’t know cancer could be the cause.
A 24-year-old woman who ‘ignored’ her bloating and stomach pain for months has been diagnosed with a rare type of ovarian cancer, according to a report.
Chloe Etheridge, from the UK, first experienced bloating and abdominal pain in December 2021. In April 2022 her stomach pain was so bad she went to the emergency room, she said at the South West News Service.
Doctors arranged an ultrasound, which found two tumors on her ovaries. One was seven inches long and the other 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 germinal ovarian cancer, a rare type of the disease that is usually diagnosed in adolescence, although anyone older than year can catch it, according to the National Institutes of Health. Genetics and Rare Diseases Information Center.
Generally, people are diagnosed with ovarian cancer after menopause and it is rare in people under 40. develop the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. He estimates that 19,710 women in the United States will be newly diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2023 and that approximately 13,270 women will die from the disease.
Symptoms of germinal ovarian cancer, which affects fewer than 1,000 people in the United States, include: a pelvic mass, fever, vaginal bleeding and abdominal pain, says GARD.
Symptoms of other types of ovarian cancer include: pain in the pelvis or back, 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 find out is to see your doctor, nurse, or other healthcare professional,» the CDC says.
Etheridge told SWNS she ignored her symptoms because she didn’t know they could be caused by cancer. «I don’t think young women know the symptoms of ovarian cancer,» she said.
The chemotherapy was “brutal”
Treatment for ovarian cancer depends on the type of cancer and how far it has spread, but includes chemotherapy, hormone therapy, and surgery. Etheridge began chemotherapy the day after her diagnosis, for six months.
«It was incredibly brutal. My chemotherapy had seven different chemicals. The side effects were horrible, I had nausea, fatigue, hearing loss – I still can’t hear certain frequencies now,» he said. she stated.
Etheridge underwent surgery on January 11 to try to remove as much of the tumor as possible.
She told SWNS that the procedure went «very well» and that she «should make a full recovery.»
According to the ACS, germ cell tumors of the ovary often have a «good outlook», with more than 90% of people with the disease living more than five years after diagnosis.
Etheridge shared her story to raise awareness, «I think for women, because we have periods, it’s assumed that we’re meant to live with pain, but that shouldn’t be the case.»
Read the original article on Business Insider