Teenager Told Her Ovarian Tumour Was A Pregnancy Bump

Teenager Told By GP Her Ovarian Tumour Was A Baby

A 16-year-old girl whose GP insisted that she was six months pregnant discovered, following a scan, that her 'baby bump' was a large ovarian tumour.

Phoebe Quatre-Morgan from Bolton, now 17, was given the all-clear last night following a hysterectomy and a year of gruelling chemotherapy to treat the cancerous growth.

The teenager went to see her GP after returning from holiday with a swollen stomach, morning sickness and a loss of appetite.

After visiting A&E with her mother, she was initially told she had severe constipation and was sent home with medication.

When her symptoms deteriorated she visited her GP who told her she must be six months pregnant.

Miss Quatre-Morgan insisted she could not possibly be pregnant and when she went for an ultrasound scan it was revealed that the 'baby' was a lump.

The teenager was referred to The Christie Hospital in Manchester, where she was eventually diagnosed with an ovarian tumour.

Miss Quatre-Morgan said, as cited in the Daily Mail: "I knew there was no way I was pregnant and to be told that I was, by my GP in front of my mum, was devastating.

"The doctor was convinced I was, telling my mum that it was common for young girls to hide pregnancy from their families - my mum was just as shocked as me about what the doctor was telling us. I kept telling the GP I wasn't, but she just didn't listen.

"When we went for the ultrasound there was obviously no baby, so I had a sense of relief, but at the same time we still didn't know what the massive lump was causing the swelling.

"When I got the diagnosis, I had a mixture of emotions, from a sense of relief that they had finally found what was wrong with me, but at the same I had just found out that I had cancer at 16 years old."

After having the tumour removed she underwent three months of chemotherapy. But after being given the all-clear in January, she was given the news in April that the cancer had returned.

Following a hysterectomy and a further six months of gruelling chemotherapy, she has been given the all-clear but will never be able to have children.

She said: "It's been hard to come to terms with being told that I'll never be able to have my own children.

"I always saw myself having a family, but cancer has taken that decision away from me. Having had cancer has definitely made me a stronger person.

"It has made me not take things for granted and to just enjoy life."

Phoebe is supporting a campaign to raise awareness of ovarian and testicular cancer in young people.

A spokeswoman for NHS Bolton said they would investigate the case with the GP's practice, the Daily Express reported.

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