NEED TO KNOW
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Clare Din experienced significant bleeding for over a year before receiving a diagnosis of stage 4 cervical cancer.
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Initially, doctors attributed her symptoms to menopause, leading to delays in necessary scans and treatments.
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After undergoing intensive chemotherapy and radiation, Clare now encourages others to advocate for their health.
A woman faced a stage 4 cancer diagnosis after being told by doctors that she didn’t require any scans.
In May 2024, Clare Din, a 49-year-old from Stockton-on-Tees in England, began experiencing heavy bleeding and decided to reach out to her doctor. During the call, she was instructed to book an appointment for an internal scan.
However, when she saw her general practitioner, the scan was dismissed as unnecessary.
“She asked if I was experiencing menopause symptoms, and when I confirmed, she told me to cancel the scan. She insisted I didn’t need it,” Clare shared. “I have really bad medical anxiety, so I tend to trust what doctors say.”
Though she was prescribed medication for menopause, which initially stopped the bleeding, it soon returned. Over the next year, Clare experienced recurrent heavy bleeding, leading to an increase in her medication dosage.
Eventually, in May 2025, with her condition worsening, she was finally sent for scans.
“I had the scan, and when it concluded, I mentioned I might be bleeding. They said it was just the gel from the probe,” Clare recounted. “But when I stood up, it was everywhere. They asked if I usually bled like this, and I replied no.”
Her bleeding escalated to the point where she was rushed to the emergency room after her appointment.
“I was too weak to leave the toilet. I’d lost so much blood that a nurse eventually helped me off – it was a shocking scene,” she explained. “The next thing I remember is waking up in the resuscitation area — I had lost 2.5 liters of blood. They were pumping blood into one arm and had an IV in the other.”
While hospitalized, Clare underwent a biopsy and had to wait weeks for the results.
In July 2025, she received the stage 4 cervical cancer diagnosis.
“I was informed over the phone that I needed a PET scan and that I had cancer. They indicated it was treatable but not curable due to the stage,” she recalled. “I had to prepare my family for the worst. It was a terrible period as we all tried to come to terms with that possibility.”
However, about seven weeks later, another consultant informed Clare that her earlier doctors had been mistaken. He was determined to treat her more aggressively. This led to 12 weeks of intensive chemotherapy and five weeks of radiation, finishing just before Christmas 2025. Now, she’s doing well.
“The consultant mentioned that if we hadn’t started the treatment when we did, I might not be here today,” she said. “They’ve now confirmed there’s no evidence of cancer remaining.”
Clare expressed her gratitude towards the consultant who “saved my life” and emphasized the importance of self-advocacy in healthcare.
“I wouldn’t be alive without him,” she said. “If you feel something is off with your health, it’s crucial to get it checked out.”
