Young woman speaks after cancer diagnosis

After months of coping with stomach cramps and losing weight, Charlotte from Marshfield in South Gloucestershire explains how her health deteriorated unexpectedly in the middle of the covid pandemic.

She was eventually rushed to hospital in Melbourne where, after a series of tests, was given the shocking news that she had bowel cancer and would need emergency surgery the next morning.

Charlotte said: “I was 26 years old when I was first told I had cancer and as a young person I was completely shocked and it rocked my world.

“Like many others I wouldn’t have assumed I would have cancer so young.

“I was faced with a whole new world, I had no family support and although I was desperate to see my parents, I also knew that back home in the UK the health service was under pressure, so I opted to have the treatment in Melbourne that next morning followed by three months of chemotherapy.

“I ended chemo in April 2021 and flew back to the UK to my family a few weeks later.”

Now back in the UK, Charlotte is keen to highlight how cancer can affect anyone at any age and the mental health challenges that go with a diagnosis.

Her recovery from surgery also meant further trauma a year later when she was told the cancer had spread to one of her lungs. 

Speaking on the eve of World Cancer Day on February 4, now aged 29, Charlotte is sharing her story to highlight the importance of early diagnosis.

She explains: “My last surgery to remove the tumour on my lung was in April 2023, where the surgeon removed the tumour and part of my lung through keyhole surgery.

“I recovered well, and the decision was made that I wouldn’t have more chemo as the risks of having more on my fertility outweighed the benefits due to how successful the surgery had gone.”

Although Charlotte had started work again and had secured a job at the University of Bath,  she realised she needed to give herself time to heal for the sake of her mental health.

She added “I was back to a good fitness level and found that I could maintain this, but I felt that things had caught up with me regarding what I had been through and decided to give up work and concentrate on things that make me more comfortable, such as working with charities to share my story.

“In addition, I was self-conscious for a little while after my diagnosis until I believed in myself and realised that my diagnosis did not change me.

"Of course, all ages can be affected by body and appearance insecurities but as I can only share from my own experience, being diagnosed in my twenties, I really believe that by having as many young people as possible sharing their story it will help to show that cancer doesn’t change you as a person and you are just as fab post-diagnosis as before.

“I would love to do my bit in encouraging all young people to do the necessary bodily checks to hopefully prevent late detection and to reassure other young people who may be diagnosed that there are others who have been through the same thing.

“I didn’t know anybody else my age who had had cancer when I was diagnosed and, even if I didn’t know the person, I would like to think that sharing my story meant they felt like they had a friendly face to help them through the hard times - because I understand first-hand how lonely a diagnosis can be.” 

She is also backing Cancer Research UK’s aim to help people live longer, better lives free from the fear of cancer.

Research breakthroughs mean every day, people are being diagnosed earlier, have access to kinder and more effective treatments, and some cancers are prevented completely.

This all adds up to more moments that matter for people affected by cancer and their loved ones.

But around 36,300 people are diagnosed with the disease every year in the South West, so the charity is calling on people to help them go further and faster in the fight against the disease by donating to help fund new discoveries.