Lisa Carroll, 47, of Coventry, is cancer-free following treatment for rare mucinous ovarian cancer and urges women not to dismiss symptoms. A 12cm cyst was found in August 2021; by December, scans showed a 20cm tumour beginning to rupture, prompting emergency surgery.
Doctors diagnosed Carroll two weeks after the emergency operation, which removed the tumour, a fallopian tube, her appendix and surrounding tissue. Ovacome, an ovarian cancer charity, says around 200 cases of the cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year.
Carroll said she experienced early menopause and struggled to distinguish its effects from depression and cancer symptoms. Hot flushes, word-finding problems and intense emotions made everyday tasks difficult. Ovacome connected her with others facing similar fears; she is preparing to join the charity’s annual fundraising walk at Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham on Saturday.
