"Appendicitis or Period Cramps, They Said"... 30-Something Woman Endures 7 Years of Pain, Misses Timing and Loses Multiple Organs

Diagnosed with Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer (LGSOC)
Typically Develops Between Ages 45 and 55, Making Early Detection Difficult

A story has emerged of a woman in the United Kingdom who had long suffered from abdominal pain, was finally diagnosed with cancer, and underwent surgery to remove multiple organs.

On February 22 (local time), the British outlet The Sun reported on the battle with illness of Caroline Padmore, a woman in her 30s living in Manchester. For the past seven years, Padmore repeatedly went to the emergency room due to severe abdominal pain, but doctors diagnosed her with conditions such as ovarian syndrome, appendicitis, and menstrual cramps, saying she was "too young to have cancer."

Padmore Caroline. Screenshot of The Sun homepage

However, in October 2024, just two months after giving birth to her first child, Padmore again began suffering from abdominal pain. This time, the pain was accompanied by vomiting and other symptoms. She underwent detailed examinations, including ultrasound and CT scans, and doctors eventually found a mass in her abdomen about the size of an orange. A biopsy revealed that she had low-grade serous ovarian cancer (LGSOC).

Padmore said she had "consistently been told the exact opposite" by doctors, explaining that no cancer was detected during her pregnancy. She added, "Nothing showed up on the ultrasound scans during pregnancy, but the hormones during pregnancy made the cancer spread more quickly and the symptoms worsen."

In February 2025, Padmore underwent major surgery in which parts of more than six organs were removed, including her ovaries, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, appendix, part of her liver, part of her diaphragm, peritoneum, and intestines. She and her husband had originally planned to have a second child, but the surgery caused her to go into early menopause, and that plan was shattered.

"If I had known when the first symptoms appeared, I could have caught the cancer a little earlier," Padmore said, adding, "I might have been able to prevent the cancer and still have children. The fact that I can no longer have a baby makes me very sad."

According to the outlet, the type of ovarian cancer Padmore had is most commonly found in older women, especially those in their 70s. However, low-grade serous ovarian cancer accounts for only about 2% to 5% of all ovarian cancers and is known to develop mainly between the ages of 45 and 55. According to the Ovarian Cancer Action charity in the UK, low-grade serous ovarian cancer grows slowly and is often not detected until it has already spread significantly, and it also responds poorly to chemotherapy, making early diagnosis critically important.