A Chesterfield woman who was diagnosed with leukaemia has told North Derbyshire Radio people need to be firm with doctors who dismiss their worries about concerning symptoms.
Lizzie Burbeary, 30, first went to her GP in Bolsover District in 2021 when she found lumps on her scalp and down her neck when washing her hair. A blood test was carried out but it came back as normal. The GP suggested using dandruff shampoo to get rid of the lumps.
Lizzie’s symptoms continued to develop to include extreme fatigue, hair loss, breathing problems, nausea and sickness, but she was told she may have asthma, or long covid. During one particularly terrible migraine, she called 111 who dispatched an ambulance. Within hours of arriving at A&E, she was diagnosed with cancer which, following numerous tests including a bone marrow biopsy, was later confirmed to be T-Cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia. She immediately started having chemotherapy and blood transfusions during a hospital stay of over a month. Treatment continued at home alongside lumbar punctures every four weeks followed by maintenance treatment.
Lizzie said: “I just knew something wasn’t right, even when the GP had told me I was fine. I was heartbroken, angry and scared. The treatment was brutal – the steroids made me balloon and my hair fell out three times, which nearly broke me. I could hardly walk, I was completely exhausted and I just didn’t want to leave the house.
“When I was diagnosed, I was really fit and healthy, I had just been promoted at work and moved into a lovely flat with my boyfriend. You never expect your life to be put on hold like that – I desperately want to feel like I have got those two lost years back. If anyone has any concerns then they should keep pushing for an answer. I know it was very unusual for my blood test to be normal but we should have done more at the time to have other tests done too.”
Lizzie is supporting Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK. The two charities have released new findings from a YouGov poll of 2,000 UK adults which suggests that less than a sixth (14%) of the UK adult population are able to identify all the four main symptoms of this deadly blood cancer. These are unusual bruising, unusual bleeding, fatigue, and repeated infections.
The organisations say this is contributing to more than a third of those diagnosed finding out the life-changing news at A&E. Throughout the UK, there are around 10,000 people diagnosed with leukaemia every year, and almost 5,000 deaths. Annually, 37% of those diagnosed with leukaemia receive this news in A&E – more than any other cancer type1.
Leukaemia Care and Leukaemia UK have joined forces for their annual Spot Leukaemia campaign which aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of this type of blood cancer. The charities are urging anyone experiencing any or a combination of the four most common symptoms to request a full blood count from their GP, a simple yet vital test that can lead to early diagnosis and significantly improve survival rates. According to guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a blood test for leukaemia should be carried out within 48 hours.
Every day, 27 people in the UK are diagnosed with leukaemia, and currently, over 50,000 are living with the disease. Despite common misconceptions, leukaemia is not just a childhood disease as it predominantly affects those over 65.
Fiona Hazell, CEO of Leukaemia UK, said: “We’re so grateful to Lizzie for supporting our Spot Leukaemia campaign. Her harrowing experience, alongside the new data we have, highlight the real and urgent need to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of leukaemia. That’s why our Spot Leukaemia campaign is urging the public and medical communities to both recognise the warning signs and also ensure people with symptoms get the tests they need to diagnose, or conclusively rule out, leukaemia.”
Leukaemia UK and Leukaemia Care are urging the public and healthcare professionals to familiarise themselves with the symptoms of leukaemia and to contact their GP and request a blood test if they have any concerns.
Colin Dyer, CEO of Leukaemia Care, says “The findings call for immediate action. Delayed diagnoses not only devastate lives but also strain the NHS with increased treatment costs. We hear on a daily basis via our support services about the impact this has on patients and their families.
“Knowing the signs and symptoms of leukaemia and not being afraid to ask for a blood test from your GP is really important and something which we will continue to campaign for. Early diagnosis saves lives”
For more information and to find out about the symptoms of leukaemia, visit www.spotleukaemia.org.uk
North Derbyshire Radio’s Senior News Editor Matt Hewitt spoke to Lizzie Burbeary – Hear the full interview below
