Mum told she had thrush and herpes was horrified to learn she was actually battling rare cancer – after noticing a huge tear down there
A MUM-of-two who was repeatedly told she had thrush or herpes actually had a rare form of cancer.
Clare Baumhauer, now 44, was diagnosed with vulval cancer after she developed a vaginal tear the size of a 50 pence coin.
Clare, from Erith in Kent, visited her GP after experiencing genital itching and was told it was probably a yeast infection, thrush or cystitis.
She was just 12 years old when her symptoms started and it continued throughout her teens.
Clare was too embarrassed to go back to her doctor until the itching became overwhelming and caused her discomfort in her 30s.
In one year she visited the GP five times.
She had a smear test which came back clear and was told to try thrush creams to control the itching.
It was not until March 2016, when she was 43, that she was finally diagnosed with vulval cancer after doctors found a tumour and a tear, which had developed into an ulcer bigger than two 10p pieces, between her vagina and bottom.
Clare recalled: “I thought that I would be sent to a GUM clinic and questioned about my sexual history.
“But I was actually referred to a gynaecologist to be examined – who consequently wanted to perform an urgent biopsy of my vulva.
“As a result, I had three punch biopsy in a short period of time, where I was eventually diagnosed with a skin condition called lichen sclerosis.
“This is what ultimately caused my vulval cancer to develop.”
By the time she was diagnosed Clare’s cancer had spread to the lymph nodes in her groin.
Now, after surgery, radiotherapy and months in hospital, she is in remission.
Clare, who works as a team leader for Charlton Athletic Football Club, said: “I was horrified when I was diagnosed.
“I immediately thought, ‘It’s terminal, I have cancer, I am going to die'."
What is lichen sclerosis?
Lichen sclerosis is a long-term skin condition that mainly affects the skin of the genitals.
It usually causes itching and white patches to appear on the affected skin.
Other areas of the body are also occasionally affected, including the upper arms, back, breasts and shoulders.
It is most common in women who have been through the menopause but men and children are sometimes affected.
It's not clear what causes lichen sclerosis, but it's thought to be related to over activity of the immune system.
It is not an infection and cannot be spread through sex.
It can be uncomfortable and itchy but it is possible to control the symptoms with steroid creams.
Source: NHS Choices
Now, she realises that she never had thrush, but instead had always suffered from lichen sclerosis, a skin condition that affects mainly the genitals and causes itchy, white patches to appear.
Left untreated lichen sclerosis, which cannot be cured but can be controlled with steroids, increases the chance of vulval cancer.
Clare, who is married to retail manager, Matthew, 45, wants people to learn about the skin condition so they can be diagnosed and treated early on and avoid the ordeal she has been through.
She said: “I never missed a smear, and they all came back clear, so I thought it was just thrush.
“I had two caesarean births with my daughter Chloe, 18, and son Ben, 13, and nothing was picked up then.
“I’d see adverts on television for thrush creams and cystitis medicines and they made me think that problems down there were common.”
Even when she developed a tear, initially small, in her late 30s, she was not unduly concerned.
What is vulval cancer?
Vulval cancer is a rare type of cancer that affects a woman's external genitals.
It includes the lips surrounding the vagina (labia minora and labia majora), the clitoris, and the Bartholin's glands -two small glands each side of the vagina.
Most of those affected by vulval cancer are older women over the age of 65.
The condition is rare in women under 50 who have not yet gone through the menopause.
There are about 1,200 new cases in the UK each year.
Symptoms:
- persistent itching
- pain, soreness and tenderness in the vulva
- raised, thick patches of skin that can be red, white or dark
- a lump or wart-like growth
- bleeding from the vulva or blood-stained discharge between periods
- open sore in the vulva
- burning pain when weeing
- a mole on the vulva that changes shape or colour
Treatment:
The main treatment for vulval cancer is surgery to remove the cancerous tissue.
Some people may also need radiotherapy or chemotherapy to destroy the cancer cells
Source: NHS Choices
“I thought it was from sex,” she admitted.
“A doctor suggested it could be herpes but when I said I’d been with Matthew for 26 years that was ruled out.”
In March 2016, more than 35 years after she initially developed symptoms, Clare was referred to hospital by a different GP.
At Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Woolwich, south London, doctors carried out a biopsy under local anaesthetic.
Then, 10 days later, she found out she had vulval cancer, which was marked as stage 1B, grade 3.
This meant it was small, but growing quickly.
In April, at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London, she had an operation called hemi-vulvectomy to remove the tumour.
Surgeon’s removed all of the tumour but discovered it had spread to her lymph nodes, so Clare underwent 25 sessions of radiotherapy.
But she developed an infection in her groin and in December 2016 had to be rushed back to hospital.
She spent New Year’s Eve 2016 in St Richard’s Hospital in Chichester, West Sussex, where she was diagnosed with the skin infection cellulitis.
Clare said: “Then, when I returned to Kent, I was back in St Thomas for my lymph nodes to be drained.
“I was fed antibiotics, but there was more bad news. The scans weren’t clear and there was still cancer in my lymph nodes, so I needed more radiotherapy, which finished in March.”
READ MORE
Clare received the all clear last month but the radiotherapy damaged her ovaries and triggered an early menopause.
She said: “I’m delighted to be cancer-free.
“However, the menopause coming on so suddenly is tough.
“My hair has thinned and I’ve had hot sweats.
“But, compared to cancer, I can deal with it. I’m just glad I’m alive.”
To find out more about gynaecological cancers visit and get involved in their #Knowyourbody campaign.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368