A teacher claims a doctor dismissed her concerns after a “funny-looking” mole showed up on her neck.
Just three months later, Darcy Shaw, from Saltburn-by-the-sea in North Yorkshire, was given devastating news.
When doctors at the hospital confirmed it was cancer, she ”started to panic” and thought she was “going to die” at the age of 21.
“It was my mum who noticed it first,” she told Need To Know.
“I was at home, visiting from university, and she spotted a mole on my collarbone that was getting larger and darker.
“She encouraged me to go to the GP and I had an appointment for something else already in the diary, so thought it couldn’t hurt to mention this too.
“I felt silly pointing out a funny-looking mole as I didn’t know that changing moles were a sign of potential cancer.
“I was initially turned away by my GP, who said that the changes were nothing to worry about.”
After the appointment, Darcy still felt ill at ease, as her instincts shouted at her that something wasn’t quite right.
Her mum, Tracy, 52, was also worried.
She took photos of the mole to compare them and after noticing further change, went back to the doctor and pushed for answers.
Darcy was referred to the hospital to have the mole cut biopsied – and the results showed she had melanoma.
She said: “I very clearly remember being told I had cancer.
“There was a doctor, a nurse and a person from a cancer charity in the room.
“I immediately knew something was wrong.
“I was 21 and on my own at the appointment – I started to panic.
“I had never heard of melanoma before, so when the doctor told me I had it, at first I didn’t know what he meant.
“All sorts of emotions were spinning around including an initial feeling of grief.
“I thought I was going to die.
“It was scary as I had no idea about the signs of skin cancer and I didn’t see it coming so I went to the appointment by myself.
“Yes [I was angry and] felt that my concerns weren’t taken seriously and think back now about what could have happened if I didn’t go back.
“They said it wasn’t very far along and they had caught it early.“
The experience was made even more painful for Darcy because there were no answers as to how she’d got cancer.
A natural redhead with pale skin, the young woman had always been careful to stay out of the sun, didn’t use sunbeds and had never had a bad sunburn.
She said: “The lead nurse immediately gave me support by directing me to a Teenage Cancer Trust support group, which was a relief.
“The nurse also allowed me to call them whenever I needed to, to talk about my diagnosis and worries.
“[But] the doctors couldn’t pinpoint how I’d got skin cancer.
“They asked about whether I’d ever badly burnt myself but I’m pale with reddish hair and I avoid the sun.
“I’m glad they didn’t try to say that it was my lifestyle that may have caused it.”
Darcy was booked in for surgery to remove the mole.
While the procedure was a success, she was concerned about the cancer returning.
Darcy, who is being supported by Teenage Cancer Trust, said: “There was a chance that it could have spread to my lymph nodes so I’ve had regular scans since to check for this but fortunately it hasn’t.
“[After the surgery], I was terrified of being in the sun.
“I even cancelled a sunny holiday abroad because of it six months later and spent loads [of money] on sun creams, sun protective clothing, etc.
“[I also became] very obsessive [about moles on my body], constantly asking people to check them and wanting to see doctors about them.
|[I also felt sad by the sight of my scars], especially the one on my chest as it’s visible most of the time.
“I assumed that when I’d had the surgery and been given the all-clear then I’d get a pat on the back and be sent on my way and be fine.
“But it’s not like that.
“I had the treatment but I was left with scars and the emotions I experienced when I was first diagnosed are still very much there today.
“I still have to have scans and waiting for them makes me really nervous.
“The scars are really prominent, too.
“[In the beginning], I was worried about the students I teach especially asking about it and having to explain.
“It still happens but I’m confident and happy to talk about it now, and like to educate my students on skin cancer.”
Darcy has found comfort in joining a Teenager Cancer Trust Youth Support group.
She said: “I was invited by the charity to join a Facebook group which allowed me to chat with other young people in a similar situation to me.
“One girl in the group was also diagnosed with skin cancer around the same time.
“We spoke quite a lot about our treatment and I found that really helpful.”
It’s now been five years since Darcy’s surgery with no sign of the cancer returning.
Having not known about the symptoms of cancer until her own experience, she is now sharing her story to help other young people.
She is urging them to learn about the five most common signs of the disease.
Darcy added: “If you notice something is wrong, never think that you’re wasting someone’s time getting something checked out.
“It’s easy to pass off something you’ve noticed and put it down to stress or a common illness, especially when you might feel that you can’t go to the doctor or it’s not as important.
“But getting something checked out sooner rather than later could save your life.”
FACT BOX: THE FIVE MOST COMMON SIGNS OF SKIN CANCER IN YOUNG PEOPLE
1 Skin lumps, bumps, swelling
2 Unexplained tiredness
3 Mole changes
4 Persistent pain
5 Significant weight change
