Rare cancer found in woman after hysterectomy

Donna Marklew, a mother from Coventry, had a hysterectomy at Warwick Hospital to treat complications after childbirth, and subsequent analysis of removed tissue revealed a rare neuroendocrine cancer.

The diagnosis came after the tissue was examined following a uterine prolapse. Marklew said, "I was very shocked because I'd never heard of neuroendocrine cancer," and added, "[I] was left with not much information because it wasn't known to anybody, and then trying to explain to people [that] I've been diagnosed with neuroendocrine cancer, you're kind of met with blank faces."

Neuroendocrine Cancer UK says the disease affects about 6,000 people in the UK each year. Its chief executive Lisa Walker explained that the typical interval between first symptoms and a confirmed diagnosis is five years because early signs can resemble other conditions.

Marklew is now working to raise awareness of the condition, aligning her efforts with World Neuroendocrine Cancer Day on Tuesday. She noted that the disease comprises a group of cancers that develop in hormone‑producing cells and that diagnosis can be especially challenging for women.