My contraceptive coil saved my life after it revealed I had cancer
A 54-year-old woman discovered she had stage three ovarian cancer after persistent abdominal pain she initially attributed to her contraceptive coil. Following successful surgery and chemotherapy, she is now cancer-free and advocates for better diagnostic awareness for women.
Why it matters
The story highlights the critical importance of listening to patients and the potential for medical devices to mask or reveal underlying life-threatening conditions.
Image source, PA Real Life Image caption, Caroline Bailey says she has completed several goals on her "tick list" since being diagnosed, including travelling to Italy and moving to a cottage in Wales
When Caroline Bailey was suffering with sharp, stabbing pains in her stomach, she thought it was being caused by her contraceptive coil.
In severe pain, the 54-year-old went to her GP, desperate to have it removed, only for scans to reveal it was in fact a 13cm (5in) tumour pressing against her coil , external .
She was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer , external in June 2023 and feared she might not live for another two years.
Now, with no evidence of disease after chemotherapy and surgery, she said: "I absolutely think that the coil saved my life, which is mad."
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