Woman says 'my cancer symptoms were dismissed for years due to my age'

When Rachel Conyers started struggling with heavy periods that left her unable to carry out her usual tasks she was told it was due to her age. The 56-year-old dealt with the issue for four years before attending A&E in a bid for answers.

It was here that she finally learned the devastating truth - that she was living with a deadly cancer. Now Rachel, from Harrogate in Yorkshire, is urging others to keep pushing for answers when they know something is wrong.

Recalling her diagnosis, she said: “I had gone beyond the average age for menopause, but my periods showed no sign of stopping, and were so heavy they often stopped me doing the things I wanted to do. Even wearing the highest level of incontinence pads I was having mishaps, with blood coming through my clothes, so I would not want to go out.

"I became a keen runner several years ago, but would not always run during a period, as I was starting to get pain afterwards. I did seek advice over the years, but was told it was my age.”

In 2023 she attended her local A&E after the bleeding became more extreme. “What drove me to A&E that morning was that the blood had come through my bedsheets and with blood clots coming out of me, it looked as if someone had been murdered,” she said.

But yet again doctors could not find an issue and she was discharged that same day. However, this time she was given a gynaecologist referral and attended an appointment eight weeks later.

The gynaecologist referred her for a more thorough investigation, which happened later that month. Rachel said: “Afterwards, the doctor said she thought there might be evidence of pre-cancerous cells, which shocked and upset me, as I was very fit and had never suspected cancer.”

She went back to see a