Jaelle Karinna, 23, from Finsbury Park, north London, visited doctors four times with unusual heavy bleeding and palm-sized blood clots before being diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer. She was initially told the bleeding was hormonal and that she was too young to worry about cancer.
After five months of misdiagnoses, a smear test revealed cervical cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes. 'Doctors have a false sense of security that someone can be too young to have cancer,' she said. 'If an older adult was displaying that same symptom, they would be checked for cancer.'
A Teenage Cancer Trust study found 47% of 18-24 year olds put off seeing a GP, with many citing hassle to get an appointment or fear of wasting time. Chief nurse Dr Louise Soanes said young people often need multiple visits before referral, as cancer in younger age groups is considered rare.
Paris Wells, 28, from Biggin Hill, was told a lump on her neck was due to a cold and did not 'feel cancerous'. It was actually stage two Hodgkin lymphoma. She arranged her own scans through a relative, leading to diagnosis. 'Because of my age, they almost ruled out cancer straight away,' she said.
Dr Gary Howsam, vice chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, acknowledged the challenge of diagnosing cancers in primary care, as many symptoms indicate less serious conditions. However, he stressed that GPs must listen to patients and consider cancer even in younger people.
