Woman, 27, shares first sign of killer cancer she mistook for a ‘shaving nick’
Jessica, who was working in customer service before her diagnosis, is now recovering from her treatment and building her stamina back up before going back to work.Recalling the ordeal, Jessica said: “I sometimes use perfumed moisturiser and sometimes with eczema that can cause my skin to have a little bit of a flare up.



This can cause a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually in the neck, armpit or groin. Jessica was diagnosed with stage 2A Hodgkin’s lymphoma, meaning the lymphoma was in two or more groups of lymph nodes but there were no typical symptoms. “You’re never promised tomorrow and that’s such a big quote that sits in my head now.LYMPHOMA is a term for cancer that starts in the lymph system – a network of vessels and glands that spans your body.
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Subsequent biopsies in February found Jessica had Hodgkin lymphoma – a rare cancer that starts in the white blood cells. “I’m just so glad it was caught early and the treatment was less than it would have been. I’m very grateful to that GP.'”It happened so quickly. But my consultant said that if you lose your hair quickly it’s a very good sign that the chemo is working,” Jessica said. Now, she is urging anyone concerned by their unusual symptoms to seek medical assistance as soon as possible.
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“It was all crazy. I just froze really. I was with my partner and I feel like I zoned out, I wasn’t really listening.According to Cancer Research UK, almost 85 per cent of those with cancer will survive for five years or more after diagnosis.
Around 2,600 people in the UK are diagnosed each year, meaning it accounts for fewer than one per cent of cancers. When a second pill failed to get rid of the rash she was referred for an X-ray in October 2023, which revealed a mass on her chest.” I don’t smoke, I only drink really rarely when I go out. “All through chemo all we ever spoke about was how much of a good time it would be if we went to Disney together.A YOUNG woman has revealed the worryingly harmless sign she unknowingly had a rare blood cancer. “I’m going to go celebrate in the happiest place on earth.
What are the signs of lymphoma?
- Swollen lymph nodes, such as in the neck, armpit or groin area
- Night sweats
- Extreme tiredness
- Itching
- Unexplained weight loss
- Fever
- Excessive bleeding, such as nosebleeds, heavy periods and spots of blood under the skin
After beginning an aggressive course of chemotherapy in the Spring, in August she was thankfully declared cancer-free.
- Swelling of the stomach, loss of appetite and other abdominal symptoms
- Coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain
She said: “That weight just lifted off of me and all of my family’s shoulders.”I had no cough, when I saw the chest x-rays I thought oh my god that was sitting on my chest but I felt fine. It’s really strange.”I thought they had the wrong scan.””I looked horrible being bald but that’s what I was clinging to. I was like “oh my god it must be working then”.’



The 27-year-old, who dismissed it as eczema or a shaving nick, assumed it was merely irritated by her perfumed moisturiser and would disappear on its own. There are two main kinds of lymphoma – Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.”I just let everything go now. It’s never that deep now, it’s never that important anymore.”The most typical signs are:”[William] He’s just been amazing. He’s been my rock through it all.She also claimed her consultant at the Princess Alexandra Hospital told her the rash on her leg was erythema nodosum, a condition that causes fat tissue to be inflamed.
‘I thought they had the wrong scan’
It was only when her fiancé urged her to get it checked out, fearing it may be related to her contraceptive pill, that she sought medical help. A PET scan in March also showed the mass on her chest was more than seven inches in size and had been “crushing” her heart. Jessica said: “When I spoke to the consultant about it [the rash] he said it’s a really weird way of your body telling you there’s something wrong inside.She added: “I cried when I was told I was going to lose my hair. Now it’s growing back so it doesn’t phase me as much, I’m used to it.The skin usually heals on its own within three to eight weeks without leaving a scar.



“The whole time they were doing tests they said the worst possibility is cancer so my brain never went there.In the US, 8,800 cases are spotted annually.
‘I looked horrible’
“But you just kind of go into fight or flight mode and it was just survival. It was just “what’s next? What do we do?”‘She will still need to have follow-up scans and blood tests every few months to check the cancer has not returned.This usually goes away by itself but can sometimes be a sign of something serious like an inflammatory bowel condition, such as Crohn’s disease, according to the NHS. “Usually with Hodgkin lymphoma, you can get loads of other symptoms. I had nothing.”Other signs of lymphoma in a more localised area include:”I was so healthy. I actually feel more unwell from the chemo than I did before. I felt completely healthy with all the tumours.”I thought maybe it was triggered with stress. But they said it [the mass] was crushing my heart.”I even remember when I went to the x-ray room I said to the radiologist, ‘this is really dramatic, I’m sorry for wasting your time’.But other symptoms, such as joint pain and swelling, can last for several weeks.”Life is so short and you don’t realise that until something like this happens,” she added.
‘You’re never promised tomorrow’
“So I was thinking, I’m perfectly healthy, why would I get cancer?Lymphoma can cause many different symptoms, depending on which type of lymphoma it is and where it develops in the body.Other symptoms include a persistent cough, a fever, night sweats and weight loss. “I’m still very out of breath and I feel like my joints are still very weak because I got arthritis from the chemotherapy in my hips and spine.”Honestly at the time I didn’t think anything serious of it.
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Hodgkin lymphoma occurs when infection-fighting white blood cells called B-lymphocytes multiply in an abnormal way and collect in certain parts of the lymphatic system. “Cancer completely changes your perspective on life. I used to get angry if someone cut me up when I was driving and now I’m just thinking let it go.