Woman’s itchy legs turn out to be rare cancer, doctors dismissed symptoms for months | Trending

A 32-year-old woman, who suffered crippling exhaustion and itchy legs for a long time, was diagnosed with cancer after doctors initially dismissed her symptoms. Emma Simms struggled with maddeningly itchy legs and was unable to gain weight. Gradually, she also began suffering from night sweats and chest pain but her doctors did not seem to find anything wrong with her. Emma Simms struggled with itchy skin for months before doctors diagnosed her with cancer.(Representational) One doctor even did blood tests and told her she did not have cancer. “I was turned away three times my GP. Each time I was told it was nothing serious. They did blood tests and categorically told me I didn’t have lymphoma. One GP actually said, ‘You don’t have leukaemia, you don’t have lymphoma. Everything’s come back great.’ And that was it. I was sent on my way,” she told Mirror UK. But after her symptoms kept getting worse, Emma was finally referred to the haematology department at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford. After months of suffering, a CT scan revealed an 8 cm tumour in her chest which was now spreading to her right lung. ‘How was it missed for so long?’She was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a rare form of blood cancer. “I was told over the phone a couple of weeks before the biopsy confirmed it, so I had a bit of time to get my head around it. I just remember thinking, ‘How did this happen? How was it missed for so long?’” she said. Meanwhile, amid chemotherapy, Emma has taken to TikTok to share updates on her cancer and mental health. “Talking about my journey has connected me with so many amazing people. It really helps me feel less alone. Honestly, people who go through chemo alone are superheroes. My family and friends have also been so supportive – I feel very lucky,” she said. What is Hodgkin’s lymphoma?Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a rare form of blood cancer that begins in white blood cells known as lymphocytes. It affects about 2,100 people annually in the UK and can occur at any age, though it’s most common in people aged 20–40 and over 75. The most noticeable symptom is swollen lymph nodes, typically in the neck, armpit, or groin. The swelling is usually painless, though it may ache. Other common symptoms include: Night sweats, unexplained weight loss, fever, persent cough or breathlessness and itchy skin across the body.