A Northern Ireland woman has opened up about the symptoms she experienced, which would soon lead to a cancer diagnosis, months after first flagging her concerns.
Catherine Caddell, from Glengormley, is speaking out to highlight the importance of seeking help if at all concerned about unusual or debilitating symptoms. The 33-year-old discovered a lump in her neck in January 2024, but after "being passed from pillar to post", she was then told the devastating news that she had blood cancer, and that it was stage 4b.
Speaking to Belfast Live ahead of World Cancer Day, on Tuesday February 4, Catherine said she wants to raise awareness about the importance of "catching it early".
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"I attended A&E on 22nd January last year and that is when the journey started of cancelled biopsies, inconclusive biopsies and then a surgical biopsy," Catherine said.
"It was back and forward between hospitals, doctors, and many blood tests. I had a biopsy in April but it was inconclusive, and I was sadly told then that it wasn't cancer, and I was not to worry.
"Looking back, I had all the classic symptoms of Hodgkin's Lymphoma, the pieces just weren't put together, and that is the biggest thing for me, the biggest worry for other people who may be slipping through the net. I had all the symptoms - exhaustion, fatigue, night sweats, itchy skin. For me, if I appeared with a lump in my breast, I feel that my journey may have been very different.
"Only one person through the process asked about night sweats, it was just one question and that was it. I was up and drenched. I was exhausted. I went to work, had a two hour nap, had dinner and went to bed for the night.
"I kept pushing for bloods to be done. I attended A&E and was discharged with paracetamol. I was sent away and told to get an ultrasound through my GP - I ended up in that same hospital for that ultrasound. It was back and forward constantly.
"ENT diagnosed me off the back off my biopsy in July. They took four lymph nodes from my neck. At that point, I was diagnosed with classical Hodgkins Lymphoma. I was put into contact with Haematology where I had a PET scan on August 13. Two days later, I met with my Haematologist, where she told me I had stage 4b Hodgkins Lymphoma."
Catherine says she knew all along that something was wrong, but she did not think it was cancer. She says she had an extensive pain in her hip, which she put down to going from an automatic to a manual car. She said she was told throughout her process, in May, that it wasn't cancer.
"I thought, because I was told it wasn't cancer, that I was going to get a strong case of antibiotics," she said.
"One of the stitches in my wound was poking out, and I actually thought when I was going into that appointment, that I'd be getting it fixed. I told my team in work that I'd be back after lunch. When I heard the word cancer, I was in a state of shock.
"I had quite an extensive chemotherapy regime. It was escalated 'beacopp', which basically stands for all of the chemo drugs I had to take. It was a 21-day cycle. On day one I had four chemo bags, day two I had two, day three I had another two. A week later, I had another two bags and alongside that I had two weeks of steroids, anti-sickness, tablets for my kidneys and liver.
"There was pre-chemo drugs, post-chemo drugs, a lot of medicines to take at home. They set out for six rounds and thankfully, I had a full metabolic response after two, but had to continue on with another two cycles. I rang the bell on November 4, 2024, and was officially in remission on December 23."
While opening up about the difficulties in her health journey, Catherine hailed her family, friends, partner, and medical team, for their support throughout those highs and lows.
"My mum has a medical background having worked in a pharmacy, if I didn't have her, I don't know what I would have done with the tablets at home. I really feel for anyone who is going through it on their own, or is maybe older. It is a lot to take in, so the support from mum was incredible.
"I took chemo in my stride, but getting my PIC line changed every Friday tormented me. I just hated it, and really struggled with it. I was terrified, Holding my mummy's hand at the age of 32.
"My cousin is a priest, and he had to give me the Sacrament of the Sick, which I am sure he never thought he would have to do for a younger cousin. I have a great team behind me, who helped me get through it, and my Haematologist too, she was absolutely unbelievable. Her care towards me, and towards my family, was first class.
"All I wanted from the start, was for someone to hear me, to listen to me. I believe that blood cancer doesn't get the awareness that it deserves. September is blood cancer awareness month, does everybody know that? You go into bathrooms and there are information sheets about lumps on your breast, or testicles, but not for blood cancer symptoms, which could be passed off as something less sinister.
"If sharing my story helps one other person with their journey, or if it highlights the symptoms of blood cancer, then it will be worth speaking out. I had somebody tell me that I had a 'good cancer', no cancer is good."
Hodgkin lymphoma is a cancer that starts in white blood cells called lymphocytes. It is also called a cancer of the lymphatic system. The most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is a painless swelling in one or more lymph nodes. This can be in any area of the body, but the most common areas are the neck, armpit or groin.
You might have other symptoms such as:
heavy sweating, especially at night,
high temperatures that come and go with no obvious cause, often overnight,
losing a lot of weight over a short period of time, despite eating well,
itching, which may be worse after drinking alcohol,
persistent cough or shortness of breath,
pain in your tummy (abdomen) or lymph nodes after drinking alcohol.
Please click this link for more information on Hodgkin's Lymphoma.
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