Cancer: Young girl’s stage 4 tumour discovered by mum while brushing hair – her symptoms

Kerry, 39, said her daughter showed very few signs of being ill in the weeks that led to her diagnosis.

The 13-year-old had reported feeling tired and showed subtle signs of weight loss.

But it wasn’t until Kerry started brushing her daughter’s hair one evening that she discovered a large growth on her neck.

She told Stroke On Trent Live: “When I saw the lump I was quite surprised by how large it was.

“We got her to go to the doctors straight away and they were very good at getting her referred to hospital.”

A series of scans revealed that the lump was Hodgkin’s lymphoma, one of the most curable types of cancer.

The disease typically starts in the lymph system – which is the part of the body that fends infections and other diseases.

Key symptoms are persistent fever, weight loss, itchy skin, cough, tiredness, and night sweats.

“She gets her night sweats which are common. She has lost weight. She is very tired,” added Kerry.

The mother-of-two has launched a fundraising appeal in a bid to raise funds for her daughter, who is now being home-schooled.

The 13-year-old could face months of chemotherapy, which she is receiving from the Royal Stroke University Hospital.

But Kerry takes solace in the fact that Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which runs in her family, is receptive to treatment.

She added that her daughter is responding well to the treatment she has received so far.

She will undergo further scans at a later date to determine whether she needs radiotherapy, explained Kerry.

Kerry praised the “fantastic” hospital staff for supporting Holly-Louise through her illness.

Like all cancers, Hodgkin lymphoma is divided into four stages determined by how advanced the disease is.

In stage four, “the cancer is typically found throughout one or more organs, It may also be in nearby or distant nodes,” explains Harvard Health.

The NHS adds: “Overall, treatment for Hodgkin lymphoma is highly effective and most people with the condition will eventually be cured.”

The cancer remains largely uncommon, with around 2,100 people diagnosed in the UK each year.

Research suggest that up to 40 percent of cases are preventable, whereas 60 percent of cases are not.

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