Doctors said my shoulder pain was a pulled muscle – it was actually late-stage cancer at 32…here are the subtle warning signs I missed

A woman who once battled cancer claims doctors dismissed her now terminal illness because of a pulled muscle.

Holly Bedford from Torquay was diagnosed with malignant melanoma – one of the deadliest forms of skin cancer – in 2019 at the age of 27.

But after the cancerous mole was quickly removed, the early years doctor got the OK from the doctors.

However, in March, the now 32-year-old developed a persistent chesty cough.

After failing to clear it with antibiotics, she repeatedly visited the GP, where she claims she was told it was due to a virus and then a pulled muscle.

It was only on her fourth visit to the doctor, and after she continued to insist on requesting a scan, that she was finally offered an X-ray.

Doctors discovered her cancer had returned and she was diagnosed with stage four melanoma, meaning it had spread to three other parts of her body: the neck, chest and abdomen.

Now Ms Bedford, who works at Southern Wood Nursery in Torquay, is urging young people not to ignore the warning signs amid the explosion of cases of the disease in young people.

But after the cancerous mole was quickly removed, the early years doctor got the OK from the doctors. Pictured with twin sister Nikki at her bachelorette party earlier this month

In addition to colon, breast and lung cancer, the number of cases of melanoma skin cancer is also increasing among 25-49 year olds.

According to Cancer Research UK, the incidence of the disease in young adults has increased by more than 60 percent since the early 1990s.

However, cancer is also increasing in older adults, reportedly due to increased UV exposure from the sun or tanning beds.

Recalling her heartbreaking diagnosis, Mrs Bedford told MailOnline that the first sign that something was wrong in 2019 was that a mole on the right side of her forehead ‘just got bigger and darker’.

She said: ‘I didn’t think about it but went to check it out for cosmetic reasons as it was more noticeable.

“At first it was very light, but as it got darker it looked like a piece of chocolate on my head.”

After being referred to dermatology by her GP, scans revealed it was malignant melanoma and the birthmark was removed.

‘They had to take some more skin off my forehead to see if it had spread. But that wasn’t the case,” she added, believing her nightmare was over.

‘Then I just had regular check-ups. I saw the cancer nurses every three months. There was no treatment and no scans, it was just body checks.’

A year later she reported some pain in her chest and a scan showed she had an enlarged thymus – which sits between the chest and the lungs – but no further action was taken.

However, in March, the now 32-year-old developed a persistent chesty cough. After failing to clear it with antibiotics, she repeatedly visited the GP, where she claims she was told it was due to a virus and then a pulled muscle.

Only after she reminded the GP on her fourth visit in August that a scan in 2020 showed she had an enlarged thymus was she referred for an X-ray. In the photo (second right) at Nikki’s bachelor party

However, in February this year she returned from a year of working in Australia.

After developing a cough in March, she was given antibiotics during her first GP visit.

When it didn’t become clear, she returned to her surgery and was told she had a viral infection.

On a third visit, she was diagnosed with a pulled muscle in her chest.

When the pain did not improve, she visited the GP for the fourth time and reminded the GP of the inflammation in her thymus that had been found during a previous scan.

Only then was she referred for an X-ray and later a CT scan, which was where most of the results came from advanced stage of melanoma.

Every year, around 15,000 Britons and 100,000 Americans are diagnosed with melanoma, the most common form of skin cancer.

It is the fifth most common cancer in Britain.

Doctors discovered her cancer had returned and she was diagnosed with stage four melanoma, meaning it had spread to three other parts of her body: the neck, chest and abdomen. Pictured, Holly (left)

Now Ms Bedford (left), who works at Southern Wood Nursery in Torquay, is urging others not to ignore worrying signs and to ‘trust your gut’ when you know something is wrong.

Despite enormous advances in treatment, with survival rates increasing from less than 50 percent to more than 90 percent over the past decade, more than 2,000 people still die every year.

Melanoma starts in melanocytes, the cells that produce melanin and give the skin its color.

However, it can grow quickly and enter the bloodstream, allowing tumors to invade other parts of the body – this is known as stage four cancer.

At this stage, treatment becomes difficult: fewer than half of patients with stage four melanoma survive more than five years after diagnosis.

Mrs. Bedford was immediately prescribed a type of targeted cancer drug called cancer growth inhibitors.

They work by blocking the growth factors that cause cancer cells to divide and grow.

‘This was because my cancer was in three different places and was aggressive. I didn’t have enough time for chemotherapy or immunotherapy,” she told MailOnline.

‘They are there to stop any spread and hopefully contain and reduce the tumors.

There are three types of skin cancer. Each can present itself in different ways. These include moles that are asymmetrical or abnormal, scaly or dark patches, and waxy bumps on the skin’s surface

‘The hope is then to switch to immunotherapy.’

A CT scan this Friday at Torbay Hospital will also provide more details on how Mrs Bedford can continue treatment.

‘We expect results on December 3. But for now we can only remain very positive,” she added.

Ms Bedford is now urging others to know what symptoms not to ignore, in light of her shock diagnosis.

She told MailOnline: ‘Don’t put off getting a cough checked and trust your gut. Don’t let yourself be put off.

‘I didn’t feel well, I also had an iron deficiency. My fatigue, pain and loss of appetite should have prompted investigation much sooner.

“I didn’t have to remind them of my medical history.”

In October, her twin sister Nikki also founded one GoFundMe page in an effort to raise money for additional, potentially life-saving treatments privately and to help her on a daily basis as she is currently not well enough to work.

So far it has raised more than €14,000.

“Holly is a true fighter and inspiration,” Nikki said.

Holly has the biggest heart, she is super generous. Let’s beat this cancer, together we are stronger.’

It comes as scientists revealed in June that a skin cancer vaccine being tested by the NHS could halve the risk of death or recurrence of the disease, new results show.

In the longest study of the treatment to date, melanoma patients who received the personalized vaccine alongside the immunotherapy drug Keytruda were half as likely to live three years later.

The risk of cancer recurrence and death decreased by 49 percent compared to patients taking Keytruda alone, which is the current standard of care.

Developed by pharmaceutical giants Moderna and MSD, the vaccine is tailor-made for individuals using the specific genetic makeup of their tumor to give it the best chance of cure.