Love Island star Demi Jones was diagnosed with thyroid cancer aged just 22, two years after noticing a lump in her neck which she likened to a “mini golf ball” or an “off-centre Adam’s apple”. The reality star put off getting her lump checked for months due to her busy schedule as a university student and was then scouted for Love Island, which prolonged her diagnosis further.
During her time on the show, Demi noticed that the lump was getting bigger and her concerns grew when she received messages from worried viewers who urged her to get it checked out. Demi booked an appointment with the GP and, despite having initial tests which came back clear, she told them: “I really feel like something’s wrong. You know yourself, you know your body and you know when something’s not right.”
Within two weeks of a small biopsy, Demi was rushed into surgery to remove the tumour and had to have another operation to remove the rest of her thyroid.
“You end up putting it off and putting off, and then, you know, it could just potentially make it worse,” she said. “Some people are scared to find out what it is, but the quicker you go and get booked in, it could potentially save your life.”
Demi, now 26, is fronting the NHS ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign to urge the public to contact their GP practice if they experience any unusual changes in their bodies, which could be a sign of cancer.
She stresses the importance of getting check quickly as a quick diagnosis can make cancer more treatable and save lives.
Demi also says she received incredible support throughout her treatment, gushing: “I can’t praise the NHS enough, there was always support. And even afterwards, they’re calling you for months afterwards, and I still have a phone call from the hospital twice a year.”
Demi’s trips to the doctors motivated her step-father to get a lump on his ear checked which he’d had for around a year. After going backwards and forwards for around six months, her stepfather was diagnosed with stage four melanoma and told he had six months to live.
Five years after his diagnosis, her stepfather is “still kicking” and remains stable, although his condition is terminal.
Demi’s campaigning comes as new data shows that only half of people (50 percent) say that booking an appointment with their GP would be the first thing they’d do if they noticed a change in their body which might be a sign of cancer – despite this being the NHS recommendation.
Separately, more than four in 10 people (42 percent) would not contact their GP about an unexplained lump anywhere on their body, despite it being a potential sign of cancer.
If something in your body doesn’t feel right, contact your GP practice. To rule out cancer, they may refer you for further tests. It’s probably nothing serious, but finding cancer early makes it more treatable and can save lives.
For more information on cancer signs and symptoms, go to nhs.uk/cancersymptoms.
