Doctors thought I had tonsilitis - but it was cancer

A mother's life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with cancer after  doctors originally believed she was suffering from tonsillitis. 

Emma Rosic, 32, told The Sun that she was in what she considered to be normal health, but between working full time as an airfreight pricing executive and looking after her young son Frankie - who was only two at the time - she began to feel run down. 

The mother-of-one, who is from Hampshire, then started experiencing other symptoms, such as night sweats, itchiness and weight loss, as well as a swollen lymph node in her neck. 

But when her husband, Darran, found her unconscious on the bathroom floor back in July 2022, doctors told her she had tonsillitis.  

Despite being prescribed antibiotics, her health only continued to decline, as she battled numerous chest infections. 

After six months of repeatedly raising concerns to doctors, an X-ray revealed a mass in Emma's chest, which turned out to be stage two lymphoma in January 2023. 

'Having a little boy and getting this kind of news is the hardest thing ever', she told The Sun.

She also said doctors did not know how long her cancer had been growing before it was discovered. 

Following the shocking discovery, Emma immediately began chemotherapy. Two weeks in, she had lost all of her hair. 

'Explaining losing my hair to my son was so hard as he was so young, but we told him this was the cancer leaving my body.

'His reaction was to say, 'You look like daddy', as my husband is bald.'

After eight weeks, Emma was in remission, and in June she was told she was officially cancer free, describing how the all-clear was 'the best feeling in the world'.

One year into remission, however, Emma constantly fears her cancer will return and has had to go through counselling as she has struggled to come to terms with what she experienced. 

'Cancer has changed my life forever. I will never ever take my life for granted again'. 

Earlier this year, alarming new figures revealed that more than 100,000 patients have been diagnosed with cancer in A&E over the past five years. 

Experts warned those picked up this way are often in the later stages of disease, when it is more expensive and difficult to treat and survival chances are lower.

It comes amid record dissatisfaction with GPs and long waits for diagnostic tests, with patients often struggling to be seen. 

Cancer Research UK described the situation as 'unacceptable' and warned it could impact patients' chances of beating the disease.