Rowan Bland, a 28-year-old creative writing student from Edinburgh studying in Glasgow, was diagnosed with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) after her GP sent her straight to A&E. She had initially been prescribed antibiotics for suspected tonsillitis in February 2025, but her symptoms worsened, and a blood test revealed the rare form of acute myeloid leukaemia.
From tonsillitis to leukaemia
Rowan began feeling run down and developed a sore throat, which was believed to be tonsillitis. Antibiotics did not work, and she developed random bruises, bleeding gums, and blood blisters in her mouth. She also experienced extreme fatigue, dizziness when walking, heavy periods, night sweats, and significant weight loss. Her sore throat became so severe that she struggled to eat.
After around a month of worsening symptoms, she asked her GP for a blood test. She expected it to confirm glandular fever, but just two hours later her GP called and told her to go straight to A&E. Rowan recalled: "The GP told me, 'I'm going to warn you, but I'm pretty sure this is leukaemia. They're waiting for you at the hospital. So go now.'"
Treatment and recovery
Rowan was transferred to the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre in Glasgow, where a bone marrow biopsy confirmed APL. Her blood counts were extremely low, and she immediately needed blood and platelet transfusions. Doctors told her she was seriously ill but that APL was highly treatable once treatment began.
She spent six to seven weeks in hospital undergoing induction treatment with intravenous arsenic and ATRA tablets daily. She suffered complications including sepsis and blood clots. A bone marrow biopsy at the end of her initial treatment showed it had worked, and Rowan was in remission. She then underwent six months of outpatient chemotherapy, finishing at the end of November 2025. A final biopsy in January 2026 showed no evidence of the disease.
Challenging misconceptions
Rowan admitted she previously thought leukaemia was "for babies" and that "cancer is always like a lump." She said: "I just think that there's a bit of a misconception that leukaemia is for babies. And cancer is always like a lump. That was my mindset. Just because you're young, it doesn't mean you can't get a serious illness."
Since finishing treatment, she has taken part in a 5K Race for Life in Glasgow and is training for a 10K. Despite ongoing health problems including osteonecrosis, she says running has been good for her mental health. Her advice to others: "If you feel like something isn't right, you need to push harder. I would just tell people to really push for things like blood tests."
Rowan received support from Leukaemia Care during her treatment. Colin Dyer, chief executive of Leukaemia Care, said: "Leukaemia can affect people of any age, and its symptoms can be easy to dismiss or attribute to something else. If something doesn't feel right, it is important to seek medical advice and ask whether a blood test is appropriate."
Rowan, now in remission, hopes sharing her experience will encourage other young people to listen to their bodies. She said: "I wouldn't have been so laissez-faire about getting checked out. I went undiagnosed for over a month and that could have ended very badly for me."
