Woman shares the key cancer signs she 'ignored' for a year before devastating diagnosis

A young woman has shared the key signs of a deadly disease she ignored for a year before getting a devastating diagnosis, urging others to seek help as soon as possible. Izzy Fletcher, from Derby, found out she had a type of blood cancer known as Hodgkin lymphoma just three months after graduating university.

The now 24-year-old shared her symptoms via social media platform TikTok in the hopes of encouraging others to seek answers if “something feels wrong”. “Get a GP appointment if something feels wrong,” Izzy said.

“Around 2,300 young people get diagnosed with cancer a year. I don’t want to scare anyone but it’s so important to know the symptoms and catch anything nasty early.”

Following her diagnosis in 2023 Izzy was able to undergo a year of chemotherapy, which has left her cancer-free. But this could have been caught sooner if she hadn’t “ignored” some of the warning signs.

In a video she revealed the signs of cancer she experienced as:

It wasn’t until Izzy started experiencing a dry cough where she was unable to breathe due to how “intense” it was that she went to the GP. She added: “It’s so important to know the symptoms to look out for yourself or if a friend mentions they have a few of these symptoms. If you are worried always get an appointment.”

Izzy also shared a message to any other cancer patients, following her vital treatment. “Look forward to the good times because they will come and you'll appreciate them 10 times more, which is a beautiful thing,” she said.

Hodgkin lymphoma is a rare cancer that develops in the lymphatic system, which is a network of vessels and glands spread throughout your body. As a result, the most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling in a lymph node, usually