A care worker from Reading has revealed how she mistook the symptoms of a deadly brain tumour for sunstroke, after spending time outdoors in hot weather. Janet Sykes, 44, began experiencing headaches and confusion after volunteering at a village fete in May, initially attributing them to the heat.
When the headaches persisted, she was referred for an MRI scan at a hospital in Reading. A week later, the scan revealed a high-grade glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), an aggressive form of brain cancer. Doctors told her she was unlikely to live for more than five years.
Janet underwent debulking surgery to remove half of the tumour, but doctors warned that removing the entire mass could cause life-changing injuries. She is now undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy to target the remaining cancer. 'I went from thinking I had sunstroke to, a week later, finding out I had terminal brain cancer – I was distraught,' she said.
Janet and her husband Steve have been open with their two young children about her diagnosis. She is speaking out as part of a campaign to raise awareness of GBM symptoms, as UK temperatures are expected to break records. According to Brain Tumour Research, GBM is the most common high-grade brain tumour in adults, with an average survival time of 12 to 18 months.
