A student has told how she was given just hours to live after receiving a shock cancer diagnosis.
Libby Dodes, 23, from Derby, initially blamed her stomach pain and swollen abdomen on her endometriosis.
But doctors eventually found a 9-inch tumor lurking in her abdomen. Tests revealed she had a rare and aggressive ovarian cancer.
At one point, Miss Dodes’ parents were told that she was “going to die this weekend.”
Since then, she has undergone four rounds of chemotherapy, as well as ultra-radical debulking surgery, which involved removing the mass, lymph nodes from the pelvic area, a hysterectomy and the removal of part of her peritoneum and appendix.
Libby Dodes, 23, (pictured) a keen jockey and student from Derby, blames her stomach pain and swollen abdomen on her endometriosis
Now Miss Dodes, an avid jockey, needs super-strength chemotherapy to continue treating her small cell ovarian cancer.
Reflecting on her diagnosis in November 2023, Miss Dodes said: “When I found out it was cancer it was very difficult. It doesn’t feel real.’
It was only discovered after she fell from her horse in October, during which time she had scans to check for a suspected broken pelvis.
Miss Dodes added: ‘I think my horse knew and she saved my life. It’s not often that I fall for her.
“You never think this is something that will happen to you.”
A CT scan revealed a 23cm tumor in her abdomen and she was diagnosed with the cancer following a biopsy in November 2023
According to Cancer Research UK, there are around 7,500 new cases of ovarian cancer in Britain every year.
It can cause pain in your abdomen, bloating and loss of appetite.
Small cell ovarian cancer is a rare form of ovarian cancer that usually occurs in younger women.
According to the charity The Eve Appeal, which funds research into gynecological cancers, it is often an aggressive form of cancer with a poor long-term prognosis.
It causes tumors that are firm, fleshy and cream-colored, the charity adds.
Miss Dodes believes her cancer diagnosis is similar to that of Kate Middleton, who announced her own battle last month.
The Princess of Wales, 42, underwent major abdominal surgery and later revealed she underwent ‘preventative’ chemotherapy after cancer was discovered.
Miss Dodes was taken to Nottingham City Hospital where she received chemotherapy to shrink the tumor in December 2023. Doctors were then able to perform the eight-hour surgery to remove the cancer in February 2024
Miss Dodes has struggled with bad periods since her teenage years and was eventually diagnosed with endometriosis after a laparoscopy in February 2023.
Endometriosis, considered an inflammatory condition, occurs when tissue similar to the uterine lining grows elsewhere in the body.
She had a postoperative infection after surgery to remove her endometrial tissue.
But in August last year she started having pain in her stomach.
Miss Dodes’ mother Vanessa, a finance manager, said: ‘Libby thought she had endometriosis in her bladder.
“Doctors dismissed her symptoms.”
Miss Dodes now needs high-dose chemotherapy to continue fighting the cancer, but her mother claims the Nottingham Trust is refusing to fund this, leaving them with no choice but to raise money.
The family are raising money for immunotherapy treatment, which Miss Dodes will need to give her the best chance of beating any new cancer that may return. But the family may now need the £79,913 already raised for private chemotherapy
Ultimately, Miss Dodes was referred to a specialist and her appointment was booked for October 24.
But while riding on October 22, she fell from her horse and was taken to hospital with a suspected pelvic fracture.
A CT scan revealed a 23cm mass in her abdomen. A biopsy in November revealed it was cancer.
Her parents were told they could not perform surgery because the tumor was too close to her major organs and was affecting her heart rate.
Vanessa said: “They told us Libby was going to die this weekend.
‘It was absolutely terrible. It was the worst day of my life.’
Miss Dodes believes her cancer diagnosis is similar to that of Kate Middleton, who announced her own battle with cancer in March
But Miss Dodes persevered and her mother managed to transfer her to Nottingham City Hospital, where she received chemotherapy in December 2023 to shrink the tumor.
Doctors were then able to perform the eight-hour surgery to remove the cancer in February 2024.
Miss Dodes now needs high-dose chemotherapy to continue fighting the cancer, but her mother claims the trust is refusing to fund this, leaving them with no choice but to raise money.
She said: ‘We are taking it treatment by treatment. We are at the point where Libby needs high dose chemotherapy.
“It’s been denied.”
Miss Dodes said, “If I want to beat this, I need this.”
The family is fundraising for immunotherapy treatment – which Miss Dodes will need to give her the best chance of beating any further cancer that may come back.
But the family may now need the £79,913 already raised for private chemotherapy.
Dr. Keith Girling, Medical Director at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) said: ‘We always try to do the best for our patients and try to secure treatment options wherever possible.
“We continue to support Libby and her family during this extremely challenging time.”