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.

Jessica Hamersley has warned others of a harmless sign which could be an indication of cancer
Jessica Hamersley has warned others of a harmless sign which could be an indication of cancerCredit: Kennedy News
The 27-year-old dismissed a mark on her leg for eczema
The 27-year-old dismissed a mark on her leg for eczemaCredit: Kennedy News
Her fiancé, William Webber, urged Jessica to get it checked out, fearing it may be related to her contraceptive pill
Her fiancé, William Webber, urged Jessica to get it checked out, fearing it may be related to her contraceptive pillCredit: Kennedy News

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. 

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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?

Jessica Hamersley, from Essex, noticed a red throbbing mark on her left shin that kept disappearing and reemerging for over a year.

“A rash on my leg literally saved my life.”I thought maybe it was a flare-up on my leg or I caught myself when I was shaving. You never think of cancer.To celebrate being cancer-free, she is now going on holiday to Disneyworld Orlando with her fiancé, William Webber.

  1. Swollen lymph nodes, such as in the neck, armpit or groin area
  2. Night sweats
  3. Extreme tiredness
  4. Itching
  5. Unexplained weight loss
  6. Fever
  7. 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. 

  1. Swelling of the stomach, loss of appetite and other abdominal symptoms
  2. 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  customer service worker was referred for an x-ray in October 2023 which revealed she had a mass on her chest
The  customer service worker was referred for an x-ray in October 2023 which revealed she had a mass on her chestCredit: Kennedy News
She was later diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma - a rare cancer that starts in the white blood cells
She was later diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma – a rare cancer that starts in the white blood cellsCredit: Kennedy News
Jessica had no other unusual symptoms
Jessica had no other unusual symptomsCredit: Kennedy News

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.

Jessica is now recovering from her treatment and building her stamina back up before going back to work
Jessica is now recovering from her treatment and building her stamina back up before going back to workCredit: Kennedy News
To celebrate being cancer-free, she is planning going on holiday to Disneyworld Orlando with her fiancé, William
To celebrate being cancer-free, she is planning going on holiday to Disneyworld Orlando with her fiancé, WilliamCredit: Kennedy News
The young woman is urging anyone concerned by their unusual symptoms to seek medical assistance as soon as possible
The young woman is urging anyone concerned by their unusual symptoms to seek medical assistance as soon as possibleCredit: Kennedy News

“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.

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