Woman says pain blamed on contraceptive coil led to ovarian cancer diagnosis

Mixed · 2Caroline Bailey, 54, from Trelogan, Flintshire, was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in June 2023 after seeking to have her contraceptive coil removed because of severe stomach pain she blamed on it. 1 2 Mixed · 2Scans showed a 13cm (5in) tumour pressing against the coil, and she says: "I absolutely think that the coil saved my life, which is mad." 1 2 Mixed · 2She said the pain began in March 2023 and she kept returning to doctors saying the coil needed to come out. She was referred to a sexual health clinic because no appointments were available, but staff there could not remove it. By May she said she "crawled into the doctors on my hands and knees". 1 2

Mixed · 2She was given a form for a CA125 blood test, which can help in investigating possible ovarian cancer. The BBC reports a reading of 72 units per ml; Ovarian Cancer Action advises further investigation for women over 40 above 35 U/ml. The Mirror says she was told to take the form to A&E, was first told her results were fine, and later learned her CA125 level was raised. 1 2 Mixed · 2She was put on a two-week pathway, and a biopsy confirmed the cancer had spread to the omentum, a layer of fatty tissue near the womb and ovaries. The Mirror says she was told of the tumour on 9 June. 1 2 Mixed · 2She had four rounds of chemotherapy at The Christie in Manchester, which reduced the tumour to 8cm. The Mirror adds that it had grown to 16cm by the time chemotherapy began and that she suffered severe side effects. 1 2

Mixed · 2On 26 October 2023 she had a six-hour operation: a total hysterectomy and removal of her omentum and appendix. She had two further rounds of chemotherapy in January 2024 and now has no evidence of disease, though she was warned that ovarian cancer can return. 1 2 Mixed · 2Testing found gene mutations raising the risk of breast and ovarian cancer; the Mirror names them as BRCA1 and RAD51D. She is having consultations about a double mastectomy, and family members are being genetically tested so her daughters can consider preventative surgery. 1 2 Mixed · 2During treatment she went through a divorce, lost her job and moved several times, at one point living out of her car. The BBC says money was her "biggest worry". She now urges women to get unusual symptoms checked and to advocate for themselves. 1 2

Centre · 1The BBC adds context: Cancer Research UK says ovarian cancer is the 16th most common cancer, with about 7,700 new cases a year, and Welsh government data show 51.3% of women started first definitive treatment within 62 days of a suspected gynaecological cancer in July 2026, below the 75% target. 1