Doctors discover tumour in new mum’s chest after ‘pregnancy disguised symptoms’
Watch: Mum diagnosed with cancer after doctors discover a 12cm tumour when she was 32 weeks pregnant
A new mum has revealed how she was diagnosed with cancer after doctors discovered a tumour in her chest when she was 32 weeks pregnant.
Zoe Plastiras, 24, a beautician, from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, hadn't experienced any signs of lymphoma - a type of cancer that affects the lymphatic system - and believes her pregnancy could have masked the symptoms.
In September 2022, two months off her due date, Plastiras woke up struggling to breathe and immediately called 111. She was told to go to A&E where she underwent a chest x-ray.
Doctors discovered a 12cm tumour in her chest, but were unable to determine whether it was cancerous until she gave birth.
Her daughter, Ophelia, now one, was born at 37 weeks and in December 2022, Plastiras underwent a biopsy which revealed the lymphoma.
Though she hadn't noticed any symptoms during pregnancy soon after Ophelia was born she lost a stone in weight, started experiencing night sweats and suffering from itchy skin - all signs of the disease.
In February 2022, Plastiras and her partner Joe Bird, 28, a heating engineer, found out they were expecting their first child.
"I was so happy," she explains.
"Up until my diagnosis, everything was completely normal - I had a straightforward pregnancy until I woke up one morning feeling like I wasn't breathing properly and went to hospital to get checked out.
"They tested my heart, I had bloods and an MRI," she continues. They told me I had a tumour but said they were happy for my pregnancy to continue as normal.
"When they told me it was a tumour they used the word 'mass' but it didn't correlate.
"I asked if they were testing me for cancer and I was so shocked when I was told they were as I had no symptoms."
Plastiras says she was told that she had just a 1% chance of being diagnosed with lymphoma because she wasn't presenting with any typical symptoms, which include fatigue, night sweats and unexplained weight loss.
Her pregnancy continued as normal with baby Ophelia arriving via emergency c-section on October 4, 2022, at 6.54am, weighing 6lbs 3oz.
Around a month later Plastiras had two needle biopsies, which were unsuccessful as doctors were unable to retrieve a sample.
But following a further biopsy in December, the new mum was told she had lymphoma.
"As soon as Ophelia arrived I lost weight very quickly, which I thought it was weird," she explains.
"It is like my pregnancy masked the symptoms and once I was no longer pregnant it was like the cancer took over.
"I went from being 11 stone with my pregnancy weight to being 9lb 2oz - the weight fell off me."
After spending a difficult Christmas waiting to hear about treatment options, which she describes as "one of the worst times of her life" in 2023 Plastiras began a six round course of chemotherapy, which shrunk the tumour from 12cm to 1cm.
She also had radiotherapy before facing a three month wait to find out if the cancer had gone.
"I got the results just after Ophelia's first birthday," she says.
"I thought I was going to be declared cancer-free, but in fact the tumour had grown to 2.5cm.
"I was devastated, I couldn't believe it."
Following a trial of inpatient chemotherapy which she underwent earlier this years, Plastiras is now awaiting next steps as the tumour still has not been eradicated.
"I am either going to have stem cell transplant with my own cells or CAR T-cell therapy," she explains.
Understandably Plastiras' cancer journey has had an impact on her enjoyment of motherhood.
"I feel sad and angry," she adds.
"It has ruined the way I feel about my experience as a first time mum."
What is lymphoma?
Lymphoma is a form of cancer that usually starts in the lymph system, which is part of the body's immune system.
It is the fifth most common cancer in the UK and the most common blood cancer in the UK, according to statistics from charity Lymphoma Action.
The two main types of lymphoma are Hodgkin lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer of a type of white blood cell called lymphocytes. Treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma is different from other types of lymphoma.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) is a cancer of the lymphatic system. According to Cancer Research UK there are more than 60 different types of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. They can behave in very different ways and need different treatments.
Symptoms of lymphoma depend on the lymphoma type and where it is in the body, but some common signs may include swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, fever, breathlessness, unexplained weight loss and itchy skin.
It is important to note however, that these can have other causes and having one or more doesn’t necessarily mean that you have lymphoma.
If you get a diagnosis of lymphoma, your treatment plan will depend on the type of lymphoma you have, your age, general health and how aggressive your cancer is, as some types of lymphoma may be slow-growing.
According to Cancer Research UK the main treatments for Hodgkin lymphoma include chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
For non-Hodgkin lymphoma treatment may include chemotherapy, targeted drugs, steroids, radiotherapy and transplants.
Additional reporting SWNS.
Read more about cancer and treatments:
Breast cancer symptoms: 300,000 women to be offered drug to slash risk of the disease (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
Symptoms of UK’s most common cancer types as cases soar in under 50s (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
What is bowel cancer? Abby Cohen shares symptom that led to early diagnosis (Yahoo Life UK, 6-min read)
