Woman, 46, died of rare cancer after toilet symptom led to horrifying diagnosis
A woman from the UK has tragically passed away from a rare form of cancer which affects only two percent of people.
And the alarming part is, it all started with a common symptom that many of us will experience at some point in our lives.
Katy Miles was a fit and healthy woman who regularly got stuck in at her local CrossFit classes, but at just 37 years old, she started to notice some bladder control issues while skipping during one of the classes, as she desperately needed to use the bathroom.
Off the back of this incident, Katy saw her doctor, who referred her for a scan that showed an abnormality.
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Despite the doctor telling them that it was a less serious cyst, they sent off for a biopsy for confirmation.
'This is going to be bad news'
Arriving at the medical center for the results in 2016, Katy was met with heartbreaking news.
Matt, Katy’s husband and a police officer, said a doctor told them: "I can’t tell you the result because I’m not an oncologist, but you need to be aware that I expect this is going to be bad news."
The doctor diagnosed her with low-grade serous ovarian carcinoma (LGSOC), which accounts for only two percent to five percent of all ovarian cancers.
Matt continued: "I remember Katy had a yellow jumper on and blue jeans, and we walked out into the corridor and went through a set of double doors.
"As soon as we went through those, she literally grabbed hold of me and her legs just buckled.
"Then she just burst into tears because she’d just been told that she had cancer."
Ovarian carcinoma is a rare cancer subtype that grows more slowly than more common ovarian cancers and has a survival rate of up to 10 years, according to NHS England.
The news hit the pair like a hammer blow.
Katy's gruelling treatments
In November 2016, Katy had a bowel resection to remove cancer cells, followed by an eight-hour operation in August 2017.
Matt added: "The doctor referred to it as finding grains of sand and he was taking each lesion out."
As if this wasn't enough to go through, Katy had a stoma bag fitted and a full hysterectomy, a hugely impactful operation that, despite the pain, she 'took in her stride'.
Katy then began a brutal cycle of chemotherapy.
By the start of spring 2024, Katy’s quality of life had declined to the point Matt remembered his wife telling him at the time: "I can’t do it any more. It’s too much."
'Everyone was in hysterics'
She was having trouble with the nephrostomies in her back, so the staff said they could replace them, but Katy did not have the energy for it anymore.
Matt said Katy asked for them to be taken out, which was explained to her as a 'peaceful way to end' her life.
Matt continued: "I can remember the doctor was crying and so was the nurse. Everyone was in hysterics.
"She had these things taken out and she came back and she was beaming."
The family took turns to share time with Katy during her final three weeks at the hospice before she passed away on September 24 2024.
Matt takes on charity challenge to raise hospice funds
Her husband Matt is now taking on a series of charity challenges to raise money for Sue Ryder, who cared for Katy during the end of her life.
He will be honoring Katy by using her police collar number, 1481, to complete a series of challenges, including the London Marathon this weekend and hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
Matt said: "Katy will be at the forefront of my mind. She is the driving force behind it all."
Reflecting on the ordeal, he added: "It was dramatically unfair.
"To have this disease is one thing, but to have a rare disease, for someone of her age and fitness level, there was no rhyme or reason for it.
"Cancer doesn’t discriminate. If it gets you, it gets you."
He smashed his initial fundraising goal of £10,481 ($14,200), so he increased it to £14,810 ($20,000).
To donate to Matt's fundraiser for Sue Ryder, visit his JustGiving page here.
What are the symptoms of ovarian cancer?
According to the NHS, symptoms of the disease include frequently (around 12 or more times a month) having:
- Swollen tummy or bloating
- Pain or tenderness in your tummy or the area between your hips
- Lack of appetite or quickly feeling full after eating
- Urgent need to pee or needing to pee more often
Other symptoms of ovarian cancer can include:
- Indigestion
- Changes in bowel habits, e.g. constipation or diarrhoea
- Pain in the back
- Feeling tired all the time
- Unexplained weight loss
- Unusual bleeding from the vagina, including between periods, heavier periods or after menopause
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact the American Cancer Society on 1-800-227-2345 or via their live chat feature, available 24/7 every day of the year.
Thomas Bamford