Doctors found my cancer during abdominal surgery, just like Kate Middleton: ... trends now
A cancer-stricken woman has told how her cancer was spotted during abdominal surgery — just like Kate Middleton.
Maia Kennedy, 38, of Hackney, London, began suffering with nausea in December 2023 but her GP initially dismissed her symptoms as being down to acid reflux.
She was eventually called for an emergency test, where doctors found a tumour in her bowel during her colonoscopy.
At the time it was thought to be pre-cancerous.
Ms Kennedy was then dealt the devastating news that it was stage-one cancer after undergoing routine surgery to remove part of her bowel in February 2024.
Maia Kennedy, 38, began suffering with nausea in December 2023 and was called for an emergency colonoscopy
In December 2023, Ms Kennedy (pictured in hospital) experienced nausea and a change in bowel habits, both of which were dismissed by her GP as acid reflux. It wasn't until doctors ran some tests that she was called in for an emergency colonoscopy in January during which they found a tumour
Because it was caught early, she didn't need chemotherapy and is now in remission.
However, she sees parallels between her own experience and that of the Princess of Wales, who last week announced her own cancer battle.
In an emotional video clip filmed in Windsor, Kate, 42, revealed the news had come as a 'huge shock' and that she and William 'have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family'.
Ms Kennedy, who is close in age to Kate, said: 'As a young healthy woman, you never think it will happen to you.
'But it can happen to anyone — even royalty, with the best medical care in the world.
'I have a lot of empathy for what Kate is going through, it's a tough time, never mind when you're in the public eye.
'When I heard about her surgery my thoughts went out to her.'
She added: 'It was a strange experience finding out my journey was similar to hers.
'With everyone talking about her, it brings up a lot of thoughts of what I have been through too.'
In December 2023, Ms Kennedy experienced nausea and a change in bowel habits, both of which were dismissed by her GP as acid reflux.
It wasn't until doctors ran some tests that she was called in for an colonoscopy in January, during which they found the tumour.
Ms Kennedy said: 'I knew something wasn't right, but you don't go into it expecting them to find something like that — it was a huge shock for me.'
Originally specialists thought her tumour was non-cancerous, just as they had thought with Kate's at the time of her major abdominal surgery in January.
Ms Kennedy stayed in hospital for a week following her surgery to remove part of her bowel in February.
Weeks later, while she was still recovering, she received a call informing her a biopsy of the tumour confirmed it had in fact been cancerous.
Because the biopsy showed it was stage one bowel cancer, she didn't need chemo.
She said: 'It all happened so quickly from December to March.
'It's taken over my life but its been such a short period of time. It's very surreal to say I had cancer.'
