Ashlea Blackborough, 34, says she was cancer-free in September after a hysterectomy and four rounds of chemotherapy for stage 1A ovarian clear cell carcinoma. She linked early symptoms to postpartum changes, then thought burning and fever meant a UTI.
In February 2025, a urine test and CT scan were ordered after she reported burning urination and a fever; the scan found a 5-centimeter ovarian mass. At the hospital, she was told it had been diagnosed as an ovarian abscess and received intravenous antibiotics. Months later, an abdominal lump and shortness of breath led to further scans, which showed a mass and pulmonary embolisms. A biopsy on Christmas Eve was followed by a cancer diagnosis call on New Year’s Eve.
Blackborough said doctors considered her rare subtype aggressive despite limited research, prompting chemotherapy even though her cancer was stage 1A. She had chosen a total hysterectomy before the stage was known, ending her chance to have more children; she said egg retrieval could have delayed surgery and risked spread. She also urged people not to dismiss bodily changes, noting there is no standardized testing for ovarian cancer.
