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'Doctors dismissed my lump and bloating for IBS'

Daniella Capitas Webster was just 22 years old when she was diagnosed with a life-threatening illness

[Daniella Capitas Webster had a scan, which found a cyst on her ovary in late 2021]

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Daniella Capitas Webster had a scan, which found a cyst on her ovary in late 2021(Image: SWNS)

A young woman received an ovarian cancer diagnosis at just 22 after her symptoms, including a "pregnancy-like" lump, were repeatedly "dismissed" by doctors as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).

Daniella Capitas Webster said she first realised something was not right when a scan detected a cyst on her ovary in late 2021. But doctors apparently informed her that cysts are commonplace and frequently resolve on their own, so there was nothing to be concerned about and no intervention was required.

Daniella "carried on with life" only for additional signs and symptoms to emerge around 12 months later including a bloated stomach which made her "look like she was a few months pregnant." Yet this time a GP reportedly told her she likely had IBS and sent her away once more.

When the lump on her abdomen kept expanding, she visited the doctors again where she was finally referred for scans. She was diagnosed with rare mucinous ovarian cancer in June 2023 and underwent surgery to remove her ovary along with multiple rounds of chemotherapy, reports Surrey Live.

[Daniella Capitas Webster first noticed something was wrong when a scan found a cyst on her ovary in late 2021]

View 6 Images

Daniella Capitas Webster first noticed something was wrong when a scan found a cyst on her ovary in late 2021(Image: SWNS)

Daniella has now come forward and encouraged those concerned about their health to "trust your instincts" and "persevere until you are taken seriously". Daniella, from Somerset, said she arranged an appointment at her GP after noticing her stomach becoming increasingly bloated. She added: "I thought I'd tell them about my problems and then hopefully, they'd be able to help me.

"My stomach had become increasingly bloated, and I had this hard lump on my lower abdomen which was more prominent in the morning and wasn't going away. I explained this but was advised that this was most likely irritable bowel syndrome."

Three weeks on, Daniella returned to her GP, explaining the lump had by that point become permanent and appeared to be enlarging. She said: "I told them about other symptoms I was having, like constantly going to the toilet yet not emptying fully.

"I was also always hungry, but as soon as I had just one mouthful of food, I'd feel full. I was also suffering from fatigue and back pain, symptoms I now know to be associated with ovarian cancer."

Daniella claims she was once more informed that IBS was the probable cause, though this time she would be referred for scans, scheduled for several weeks later, to rule out other conditions. Yet less than a week later, she was rushed for emergency scans after her condition rapidly deteriorated.

Daniella said: "I had the scans and the radiographer wasn't happy and sent me straight to majors. At this point, I thought this was a good thing, as it meant something was finally being done, but I was also alone and scared." Following a subsequent scan, Daniella was sent to the cancer clinic as a "precautionary measure" after also mentioning a family history of cancer to her doctor. There, she learnt that while specialists didn't believe her cyst appeared cancerous, it had expanded so significantly that surgery would be necessary.

[Daniella Capitas Webster's abdomen pre-diagnosis]

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Daniella Capitas Webster's abdomen pre-diagnosis(Image: SWNS)

Despite some complications during the operation, the cyst, containing just under two litres of fluid, was successfully removed and Daniella was informed she'd receive results within four weeks if anything was amiss. Just eleven days later, though, she got a phone call from the hospital requesting her to attend, which sent her into "a complete panic" as she knew "straight away something wasn't right".

At the hospital, Daniella received the devastating news that the cyst was cancerous, and she'd need further surgery to remove her ovary, fallopian tube, omentum and appendix. Daniella said: "By this time, I was really feeling what I'd been through. In under six weeks, I'd been told I had a rare form of cancer and had two major surgeries to get rid of it.

"I thought that was it but was advised that due to complications from my first surgery, there was a risk that the cancer cells may have spread. Because of this they wanted to do six rounds of intensive chemotherapy, even though chemotherapy wasn't standard for my cancer type.

"It just felt like one thing after another, and before chemo even began, I also had to undergo fertility treatment as I only had one ovary, and the chemotherapy could leave me infertile. I won't know until the time comes if I can conceive or not."

[Daniella during early treatment]

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Daniella during early treatment(Image: SWNS)

Now 24, Daniella has completed her treatment and while she is cancer-free, she continues to endure numerous lasting effects from both the illness and its treatment, amongst them hearing loss, neuropathy, a weakened immune system, memory loss, joint and muscle pain, and chronic fatigue. She said: "After treatment finished I had to find myself and rebuild, but that hasn't been easy.

"The side effects are both physical and mental, with so much to unpack. People don't see the scans, the anxiety around scans, the blood tests, the phone calls, or the constant appointments. I think a common misconception is that everything is better once treatment finishes, but it doesn't work like that."

[Daniella during treatment]

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Daniella during treatment(Image: SWNS)

Reflecting on her own gruelling path to diagnosis, Daniella urged young people concerned about their health to "trust your instincts when something doesn't feel right". She added: "I hope that by sharing my story, it helps them advocate for themselves.

"If you're worried about signs and symptoms, it's important that you don't just speak up, but persevere until you're taken seriously." Ashley Ball-Gamble, CEO of CCLG: The Children and Young People's Cancer Association, said: "Early diagnosis is vital to ensuring treatment for young people with cancer starts as soon as possible, so that it's not only effective, but comes with fewer short- and long-term effects.

"That's why we, along with our partners at Young Lives vs Cancer, pushed for the inclusion of, and helped shape, a dedicated children and young people's section in the recently launched National Cancer Plan for England.

[A scan found a cyst on Daniella's ovary in late 2021]

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A scan found a cyst on Daniella's ovary in late 2021(Image: SWNS)

"One of its key priorities is rightly speeding up diagnoses for young people, and we will be working alongside the Government and NHS to help them achieve that."

The charity states that approximately 2,300 teenagers and young adults (15-24) receive a cancer diagnosis annually in the UK, with roughly two-thirds of all cancer cases in teenagers and young adults occurring among 20-24-year-olds.

Signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer include: pain or swelling in your stomach, a feeling of fullness or bloating in your tummy, irregular periods and needing to urinate more often.

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