A 24-year-old woman, whose worrying symptoms were thought to be “stress and anxiety”, has been diagnosed with rare cancer.
Saskia Clark was in good health, rarely drinking, never smoking and keeping active, when she started suffering chest pain, last spring.
But, with a history of anxiety and struggles with fatigue, she says doctors initially thought something simple was at play, exacerbated by her long working hours.
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After “countless appointments”, they finally found the more sinister cause, as Saskia was diagnosed with a rare form of thyroid cancer.
“It was really scary and I was really angry to begin with that it had taken so long to find,” the social media manager, based in Manchester, told Need To Know.
“But, I was also weirdly relieved, just to know that I wasn’t going crazy all that time.
“I had known 100% that something was wrong.”
Saskia – who is documenting her story on TikTok, where it has gone viral – says her diagnosis came in August, 18 months after she first raised concerns in May 2023.
She said: “It was frustrating, as I’ve had anxiety my whole life and I tried to explain that this didn’t feel like anxiety.
“After pushing this [point], they [the doctors] referred me to a cardiologist and told me to try a ton of wellness things.
“I tried everything – yoga, meditation, sound baths, acupuncture, reflexology and even gave up alcohol for eight months in the hopes it would do something.
“But the chest pain was still there.”
Saskia’s first appointment was in November 2023 with a cardiologist, where she underwent a 24-hour ECG.
She claims she didn’t hear back until March 2023, when a consultant ordered an exercise test and an echocardiogram, which is an ultrasound of the heart and nearby blood vessels.
All of the tests came back clear but soon Saskia was developing other troubling symptoms relating to her bowels and was referred to a colorectal consultant, where she underwent a full-body CT scan.
A week later, she was asked to urgently come in for a chat.
She said: “A lung doctor showed me my lungs from the CT scan and there were multiple lumps visible on my windpipe.
“It was really bizarre to see as I’ve never smoked and never had trouble breathing.
“To learn that something is in your body without you knowing is a feeling I can’t describe.”
Biopsies were taken, along with a bronchoscopy [camera examining the inside of the lungs and airways] and blood tests.
A week later, Saskia learned the devastating news that the biopsies had detected medullary thyroid cancer.
Prior to her diagnosis, the young woman says she led a healthy lifestyle.
She said: “I’ve been fatigued since I can remember but I’m active; I don’t drink a lot, I’ve never smoked or vaped, I eat relatively healthily and I prioritise my wellness.
“Being so young and so ‘normal’ it’s so hard to wrap your head around it, but also in a way I always knew something was wrong, so it also makes sense now.
“The hardest thing is when I look at photos of myself two months ago and realise that at that moment I had cancer, and I had no idea.
“Life really comes at you fast.”
Saskia is currently undergoing tests to determine what the best plan of treatment will be.
Having spent months advocating for herself and pushing for answers, she is now sharing her story in the hopes of prompting other people to follow suit.
She has also taken to TikTok to document her experience, where her posts have garnered over a million views.
Saskia said: “I think it’s so incredibly important to vouch for your own health.
“Since talking more openly about this experience on TikTok, I’ve had so many people who feel similar or have been dismissed with similar experiences and I want to use this opportunity to encourage people to advocate for their health and have the confidence to challenge the system.
“You know your body better than anybody else and if something feels wrong, keep pushing for answers.”
