Woman Urges Women to Check Symptoms After Rare Cancer Diagnosis

A UK mother of three is urging other women not to dismiss their symptoms after being diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer. Lisa Carroll, 47, initially believed her pain was due to irritable bowel syndrome, a kidney infection, or another minor ailment.

In August 2021, after returning from a holiday, Carroll experienced significant pain. After contacting NHS 111, she was sent to a hospital in Coventry where a 12cm cyst was discovered on her right ovary. Initially, it did not appear to be sinister, and she was placed on a waiting list for surgery.

However, within a month, the cyst had grown to the size of a football, causing increased pain and discomfort. By December, scans revealed the tumor had expanded to 20cm and was beginning to rupture. Carroll underwent emergency surgery to remove the tumor, a fallopian tube, her appendix, and surrounding tissue.

Two weeks later, she received the diagnosis: mucinous ovarian cancer (MOC), one of the rarest forms of ovarian cancer in the UK. According to the ovarian cancer charity Ovacome, approximately 200 cases of MOC are diagnosed annually in the UK.

Carroll noted that some ovarian cancers can be asymptomatic for years, but the rapid growth of her tumor led to its earlier detection. The treatment, which included surgery and chemotherapy, resulted in her entering early menopause. She described this as one of the most challenging aspects of her recovery, struggling to differentiate between symptoms of menopause and depression.

"I couldn't open the washing machine, the dishwasher or the oven. I couldn't cook anything on the hob because I'd just have this awful hot flush. I was forgetting words. I was incredibly emotional," she recalled.

Now cancer-free and approaching the five-year milestone that will mark her formal discharge from oncology care, Carroll acknowledges her good fortune and the survivor's guilt that can accompany it. She has become involved with Ovacome, finding support and connection with others who understand her experience.

"They became my safe space," she said. "They helped me to connect with other people who understood what I was going through. They made an incredibly scary and isolating time feel far more manageable."

Carroll is participating in the charity's annual fundraising walk on Saturday at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham, hoping her story will encourage others to trust their instincts and seek medical advice when something feels wrong.