A woman who thought she was ‘too young’ for cancer has revealed her worry after new statistics show the ‘concerning’ rise in cases amongst under-50s in the UK.
Sally-Anne Hawkins originally thought she was bloated, and had friends even ask if she was pregnant, but it turned out to be an early sign of a terrifying diagnosis.
The 39-year-old was in the bath trying to relax after pelvic pain had started when she suddenly collapsed – a tumour she didn’t even know she had had burst, and she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
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Her story is one of many in England, which the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) called “concerning” and said should make people “pause and think”.
According to statistics released this week by the charity, rates of women aged under 50 diagnosed with womb cancer increased from 1.8 per 100,000 in 2001 to 3.9 per 100,000 in 2023.
Not only that, Cancer Research UK found that between the early 1990s and 2019, overall cancer rates in 25–49-year-olds in the country increased by 24%.
“It’s such a worrying time for those under 50, as our symptoms are always brushed under the carpet,” Sally-Anne, an account manager from Portsmouth, told Need To Know – Your daily pulse on what’s trending, creating, and moving the needle .
“For me, personally, when I had ovarian cancer, I didn’t know, as I had no symptoms relevant to cancer.
“I think that’s the case for people in England; we’re always told that it’s irritable bowel syndrome or something general.
“And we keep going to the doctors until they actually do something.
“But sometimes, it’s so hard to get an appointment or be taken seriously – especially when you’re under 50.
“I think people are more aware now and that stories, such as mine, have made people realise that symptoms – no matter how general – need to be checked out.
“And so people are listening to their bodies more; something I wish I would’ve done.”
For Sally-Anne, her battle with cancer was initially diagnosed as food poisoning in April 2024.
She originally put it down to weight gain, though feared something worse was going on when a pain in her pelvis began, along with needing the toilet every 15 minutes.
Then the bath incident changed everything.
She said: “I staggered downstairs screaming for help.
“I was in agony and vomiting whenever I moved.
“I could barely take it in.
“It was a moment of total shock [when they said I had cancer].
“I never thought it could be that; but, looking back, I had all four main symptoms, though never put it down to this.”
After being rushed to hospital, a CT scan revealed that her right ovary had twisted and had a grapefruit-sized mass on it.
It was ovarian cancer.
A week later, surgery was carried out to remove her right ovary, and her womb was washed out to remove any leftover matter from the tumour.
Sadly, there was a 75% chance it would return.
She said: “I refused to go through it all again.
“My partner, Andy, and I didn’t want kids, so I made the decision to have my remaining ovary removed.
“When they found another tumour, I knew I had made the right choice.”
Now, Sally-Anne is sharing her story to raise awareness and support the acronym BEAT, which stands for bloating, eating difficulties, abdominal pain and toilet changes.
Currently, she’s having follow-up scans every six months.
She added: “Life is good now.
“I have a new outlook on life and read a saying which I live by: ‘People say you only live once, but you actually live every day and only die once.’
“Looking back, I wish I listened more to my body.
“Keep pushing – you know your body.”
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