I thought I was bleeding because of the menopause but it was actually womb cancer
A woman who thought she was experiencing symptoms of the menopause actually went on to be diagnosed with womb cancer and now wants to warn other women to get checked if they notice anything unusual.
Dawn Willis, 58, from Canterbury, Kent, had been experiencing vaginal bleeding for about a year, but assumed it was a typical symptom of the menopause. When her stomach became swollen, however, her family convinced her to go the the GP, and, following further tests, she discovered she actually had advanced womb cancer.
"So much happens to your body during the menopause that I thought the bleeding was normal," Dawn explains. "But then my belly became swollen and my family told me to get checked out. I’m really glad they did because if I had waited even just a couple more months, I don’t think I’d be here today."
Postmenopausal bleeding is not usually serious, but can be a sign of cancer. According to the NHS, the main symptoms of womb (uterus) cancer can include bleeding or spotting from the vagina after the menopause, heavy periods that are unusual, vaginal bleeding between periods, and a change to vaginal discharge.
After the initial shock of her diagnosis in March 2017, Dawn's focus immediately switched to getting better. "When they told me that it wasn't terminal, I thought, 'Right, I'm going to beat this', she explains. "I love my life. I love my husband Mark, who I have been with since we were 16. I wasn't ready to go anywhere. Cancer wasn’t going to beat me."
Following a year of treatment, Dawn was given the incredible news that she was in remission and was classed as officially cancer-free in March 2022. Unfortunately Dawn suffered a perforated bowel due to serious radiation damage and now lives with a stoma. But she is determined not to let it impact her life.
Now she is focussed in encouraging others to get checked as soon as they spot something unusual for them. "I'm fine with my stoma as it saved my life," she explains. "But I likely wouldn't need that if I had got checked sooner. I was so angry with myself when I got the diagnosis as I had ignored the symptoms. I’m always the first one to advise people to see a doctor so I don’t know why I left it so long."
"I really want to spread the message that if something isn't right - don't leave it!" Dawn continues. "Even if you feel fine. I only had that symptom and otherwise felt healthy. So visit your GP and get yourself checked out. If someone sees what I'm saying and thinks, 'I've got that - I'll get checked'... If I could save one person's life."
Womb cancer: the facts
Womb cancer starts in the womb (uterus). You may also hear it called uterine cancer. This is because the uterus is the medical name for the womb. It is also sometimes referred to as endometrial cancer. The endometrium is the lining of the womb. Endometrial cancer is the most common type of womb cancer.
There are around 9,800 new uterine cancer cases in the UK every year, that's 27 every day (2017-2019).
In females in the UK, uterine cancer is the 4th most common cancer, with around 9,800 new cases every year and according to the charity the Eve Appeal it is on the rise It’s on the rise with the number of people being diagnosed increasing by 12% in the last 10 years.
The most common symptom of womb cancer is abnormal bleeding from the vagina. This is especially in women who have stopped having periods (post menopausal women).
Unusual bleeding can include bleeding between periods, bleeding that is unusually heavy for you and vaginal discharge that is blood-stained.
The Eve Appeal says any post-menopausal bleed is abnormal, so it is important to get any new bleeding checked by your GP. While it is more likely to be caused by something less serious than cancer, it is always worth getting checked.
According to Cancer Research UK being overweight or obese is one of the biggest risks of womb cancer in the UK. But there are some other risk factors that can increase your risk of developing womb cancer including your age - most women diagnosed with womb cancer have been through their menopause and are aged 75 to 79.
Read more about cancer:
Amy Dowden says becoming a mum 'could be dangerous' after cancer battle (Yahoo Life UK, 3-min read)
We survived cancer – there's one thing we wish people had told us (Surrey Live, 4-min read)
The womb cancer signs and symptoms many women are missing (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
