Doctor, 37, diagnosed own cancer after spotting two 'mild' warning signs

A gynaecologist who diagnosed herself with stage 4 colon cancer has revealed the two key warning signs that led her to make the discovery. Dr Lauren Juyia, was only experiencing two "mild" symptoms at the time she was diagnosed at the age of 37 in 2022.

She initially dismissed her fatigue, which began in August 2022, as a symptom of ageing and a busy lifestyle. However, when this was accompanied by a "sense of pelvic heaviness", she felt something was amiss.

This sensation eventually developed into what she described as a "pelvic mass", prompting her to arrange an ultrasound. The scan revealed larger-than-normal masses near her ovary, leading to her diagnosis of colon cancer.

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Speaking to Good Morning America, she said: "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."

The Florida-based doctor sought multiple opinions and knew the prognosis wasn't "going to be good" when the mass grew from 8cm to 24cm within two weeks, reports Surrey Live.

Dr Juyia expressed her initial shock, saying she "never seen anything benign" grow so quickly, which led her to suspect the masses might be cancerous; however, she initially thought it was ovarian cancer due to where the masses were located. By September 2022, she underwent an operation to remove the growths that had spread to various parts of her body including her ovaries, uterus, omentum, appendix and even the abdomen.

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Despite the aggressive nature of the masses, Dr Juyia's symptoms were surprisingly mild, with fatigue and a sense of "pelvic heaviness" being the only real indicators—symptoms she attributed at first to the demands of motherhood, working full time, and the interrupted sleep that comes with having young children.

Reflecting on this, she said: "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."

The NHS says that other signs of colon or bowel cancer can include alterations in bowel habits such as persistent diarrhoea or constipation, the presence of blood in stools, stomach aches, and unexplained weight loss. Following the confirmation of stage 4 colon cancer, Dr Juyia embarked on a six-month course of chemotherapy.

Throughout treatment, she continued her medical practice, which she found "therapeutic" and a useful distraction from her own health issues.

In March last year, Dr Juyia underwent another operation to remove an inactive tumour, and by April, she was given the all-clear with tests showing "no evidence of disease". Following her ordeal, the mother of two is keen to raise awareness about the early symptoms of the illness, such as persistent tiredness and a feeling of "pelvic heaviness", urging younger people in particular to be vigilant.

In the UK, bowel cancer screening programmes vary by region. In England, individuals between 54-74 are invited for screenings every two years, with plans underway to lower this to include those aged 50+.

Meanwhile, in Wales and Scotland, screenings are already available for those aged 50-74.