Pregnant woman ignored painless lump, later diagnosed with THIS rare cancer

People often overlook life-threatening diseases and discover them at advanced stages. By the time they seek medical help, it's usually too late to treat. Something similar happened to Zoe Handscomb-Edwards, a young mother from Bournemouth, England, who was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer while she was pregnant.

At the initial stage, when her body was giving signals like a lump on her legs, she ignored it, thinking it was just a muscle strain from yoga. Later, when she finally got tested, the devastating news changed everything for herself and her family. 

In 2022, Zoe noticed a painless golf-sized ball lump on her leg, but she overlooked it. At the same time, she had discovered about her pregnancy, which took away all the focus from her lump to pregnancy. Months later, in February 2023, one of her friends suggested seeing a doctor. 

Three months later, Zoe found out that she had PEComa, a rare cancer that affects one in a million. At just 16 months pregnant, Zeo underwent surgery, where surgeons removed a 20cm tumour from her leg. In July, she gave birth to her daughter, Penelop via planned C-section. However, in August, her PET scan revealed that her cancer had already spread and she had only six months to 2 years to live. 

She once described her diagnosis as the second worst day of her life, the first was when she had undergone surgery while carrying her 7-month-old baby inside her womb. 

Even after getting major setbacks from life, nothing stopped her. She travelled across Europe with her little daughter while continuing her treatment. Two years later, she is still fighting the disease. Today, she is using her voice to spread about PEComa and the importance of staying vigilant. 

Zeo's tough Journey gives a loud message about early checkups, and no matter how minor a symptom may seem, one should always get themselves checked before it's too late. 

Also read: Heartwarming video shows baby elephant reunited with mother in Kaziranga: 'Nature has its...'