Over the past few weeks, Demi Jones - from the last series of Love Island - has been publicly undergoing treatment for thyroid cancer. The reality star was diagnosed last month, and has since undergone a full thyroidectomy (a surgical removal of the thyroid).
But even before her diagnosis, Demi has been bravely sharing her story - in order to encourage young women to get their lumps checked. And while this honesty must be incredibly difficult, at a time so horrible, amazingly, it has already made a difference. Updating her followers on Instagram, Demi said that she was told her surgeon that there's been a noticeable increase in the number of young women seeking appointments to get their lumps checked.
'Guys, I've just had the best news,' she wrote on Instagram yesterday. 'My lovely surgeon has just told me since I publicly spoke out about my thyroid cancer, they've had a significant increase in the number of young girls being referred and getting lumps on their necks checked and he thinks it's because of me. How amazing!'
Earlier this year, the influencer posted a video - in tears - where she explained that a lump, on her neck, could be cancerous. ‘I'm worried, but I'm sure it will be fine,’ the 22 year old said on her Instagram story. ‘It's just a shock because you just don't think. I was sat there in the waiting room and it was full of old people and I was the only young one there.’
As the influencer has previously said, the reason she has been so insistent on sharing her journey is so that others get their lumps checked, but importantly, to persist with doctors if they think something could be wrong. Because otherwise, her cancer might not have been caught. In the original videos shared after she received the devastating news that her lump could be cancerous, she claimed that her appointment was late, and it was only because she asked for fluid to be checked that doctors suspected the lump on her thyroid might be cancer.
‘Please don't put off getting lumps checked. If appointments keep getting cancelled then you need to chase it up,’ Demi said. ‘I was supposed to have this appointment six months ago. At my scan they said “everything looks fine” and went to send me on my way. I challenged it and asked if they could do more, in which they said "oh well we can test the fluid if you want us to?" Thank god I asked as it was the fluid that came back potentially cancerous. Always push!' (When fellow Love Islander Molly-Mae Hague similarly shared her experience of having a cancerous mole removed, she said it was only when she asked a third doctor that concerns were raised.)
Of course, it goes without saying that nobody ever owes strangers an explanation about their health - whether online, or in real life. But, as she’s proved, her honesty is already having an impact when people are making appointments they otherwise might not have made. And that's life-saving.
What are the symptoms for thyroid cancer?
The Teenage Cancer Trust says on its website that treatment for the cancer is usually successful, but that some signs of thyroid cancer can be 'a sore throat or hoarse voice that lasts for several weeks, or if swallowing is painful for that amount of time, or if you feel a lump in your neck (and especially in the base of your neck).' And that 'it’s always best to check if you have any of these symptoms, or you notice anything weird.'
If you have any questions or concerns about cancer, the Macmillan Support Line is open every day from 8am-8pm on 0808 808 00 00. Further information and support is available online at macmillan.org.uk.
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