Young woman who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at just 20 claims GPs dismissed years of symptoms as 'laziness'
A young woman has issued a critical warning urging people to listen to their bodies after symptoms dismissed for years by doctors turned out to be deadly thyroid cancer. Courtney Nettleton, from West Yorkshire was just 20-years-old when she was diagnosed with the disease, which had already spread to nearby lymph nodes and blood vessels. Ms Nettleton started experiencing symptoms in summer 2021 including extreme fatigue, unexplained weight loss and mood swings, but her GP dismissed her as just another lazy teenager. 'Doctors genuinely made me believe my tiredness was just because I was a lazy teenager, but I think I knew deep down it wasn't normal,' she said in a TikTok video that has so far been viewed 1.5million times.Because her doctor did not seem to be concerned, Ms Nettleton brushed off other red-flag warning signs of the disease, despite knowing something was wrong. 'For months I had to sleep with my window open because I felt like I couldn't breathe without the fresh air,' she said. 'I never knew this was such a common sign of thyroid cancer.'This type of cancer affects the thyroid gland, which is located in the front lower part of the neck. Typically, the thyroid produces and releases hormones responsible for digestion, muscle movement and heart function. But, in cancer patients, abnormal cells in the thyroid gland start to divide and grow uncontrollably, affecting natural hormone levels and causing symptoms.The most common symptoms include a lump in the neck, a hoarse voice that lasts for more than three weeks and a persistent sore throat or difficulty swallowing. 'I noticed my voice changed more after my diagnosis but I could no longer shout. I could talk, however nothing would come out when I shouted, it was just air,' the young carer said. Medullary thyroid cancer can also cause unusual symptoms such as facial flushing and weight loss—a common symptom of most cancers. 'At one point I literally thought I was starting early menopause. The hot flushes used to come on throughout the day,' she said in a TikTok to raise awareness for the rare disease. 'I also lost quite a lot of weight, however it wasn't something I associated with being sick,' she added. Finally, in January 2022 she notice a lump growing on her neck, which prompted her to go back to the doctors for a second opinion. 'This was my final symptom which allowed me to get a two week urgent referral for suspected cancer,' she said. In January 2022, Courtney's friends noticed a lump that was growing on her neck, pushing her to seek another opinion from doctors
Courtney said that doctors completely dismissed her symptoms, delaying her diagnosis until the cancer had starter to spreadAt just twenty years old, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in February 2022. Just a month later, Ms Nettleton underwent two surgeries to remove both sides of the butterfly-shaped gland—known as a total thyroidectomy. This is the most common treatment option for the disease. Ms Nettleton was then led to believe by doctors that she was cancer-free and the surgery was successful. But just three days later, on March 25, she was given the devastating news that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and blood vessels, necessitating further surgery and radiotherapy. Ms Nettleton had the lymph nodes in her neck removed before undergoing a round of radioiodine therapy to kill any remaining cancerous cells.And on December 22 of that year, Ms Nettleton was told she had finally beaten the cancer. Now she wants to raise better awareness for the rare but deadly disease and is urging women to listen to their bodies, advocate for their health and get a second opinion if something feels wrong. In a TikTok video Courtney wrote: 'I don't know probably the [horror movie] where I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 20 after the doctors continuously disregarded my symptoms for over two years.'Thyroid cancers are becoming increasingly common, with health officials predicting that incidence rates will rise by an alarming 74 per cent in the UK by 2035. In the US, there will be around 44,000 new cases diagnosed in 2025 alone, according to the National Cancer Institute. It comes as concerning new research published earlier this year suggested that block buster weight loss jabs such as Mounjaro and Ozempic could raise the risk of thyroid cancer in their first year of use. American doctors—who tracked over 350,000 patients—discovered that whilst the risk remained low, the jabs put users at a significantly higher risk than other common diabetes drugs. Scientists, who labelled the findings important, cautioned further research was necessary to confirm them. However, research revealed last month that weight loss jabs have now been linked to more than 100 deaths across the UK, with health chiefs suspicious that popular weight loss drugs were to blame.
