https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7440027/Mother-goes-12-week-scan-told-baby-actually-cancerous-growth.htmlDevastated woman who thought she was pregnant discovered at 12-week scan that 'baby bump' and 'morning sickness' were actually caused by a cancerous growth
Grace Baker-Padden took four pregnancy tests and visited her GP at home in Willington, County Durham, who confirmed she was pregnant
As she approached her 12-week scan she noticed spots of blood and thought she was having a miscarriage
But during the visit to hospital she discovered she was actually suffering a molar pregnancy, also known as gestational trophoblastic disease
By Raven Saunt For Mailonline
Published: 09:07, 8 September 2019 | Updated: 11:52, 8 September 2019
An excited mother-to-be went to her 12-week scan only to discover that her 'baby' was actually a cancerous growth that made her body mimic pregnancy. Grace Baker-Padden, 23, had been taking the contraceptive pill and so was surprised when she fell pregnant last year. She took four pregnancy tests before visiting her GP at her home in Willington, County Durham, who confirmed she was expecting a baby. Grace and her partner Joe Cowling, 28, were excited by the news. They told their families and had already begun to discuss baby names. Not long after finding out she was expecting, Grace thought she was suffering with morning sickness as she began to vomit almost everyday. Her stomach also started to swell and she assumed that this too was because of the pregnancy. But when she reached the ten to 12-week phase she feared she was having a miscarriage after noticing blood spots. She was rushed to the University Hospital of North Durham with Joe where doctors performed a scan. They could not find the shape of a baby and instead discovered a cancerous mass had been growing that made her body mimic the stages of pregnancy. Grace and her partner Joe Cowling, 28, were excited by the news. They told their families and had already begun to discuss baby names. Not long after finding out she was expecting, Grace thought she was suffering with morning sickness as she began to vomit almost everyday. Her stomach also started to swell and she assumed that this too was because of the pregnancy. But when she reached the ten to 12-week phase she feared she was having a miscarriage after noticing blood spots. She was rushed to the University Hospital of North Durham with Joe where doctors performed a scan. They could not find the shape of a baby and instead discovered a cancerous mass had been growing that made her body mimic the stages of pregnancy. Although doctors have warned of a 15 per cent chance it will happen again, the couple said the initial relief was incredible and that they booked a holiday to celebrate. They still hope to have a baby in the future but have been advised not to try for at least a year while Grace's body stabilises. Recruitment consultant Joe is taking part in the Great North Run to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust that helped the couple through the ordeal. In his JustGIving appeal to raise £2,000 he said: 'At the beginning of 2018 my partner Grace was told she had gestational trophoblastic disease, a rare form of cancer Over the past year I have seen her show real strength as she received rounds of chemotherapy to fight the disease, I am so proud of her. [Her] treatment was administered at the Teenage Cancer Ward at Weston Park Hospital in Sheffield, a ward that receives a great deal of funding from the Teenage Cancer Trust. The work that the nurses and doctors do on that ward is nothing less than amazing, every time I have visited with Grace I have been taken aback by everything they do for the brave individuals they are treating ....'
WHAT IS A MOLAR PREGNANCY?
A molar pregnancy occurs when a lump of abnormal cells grows in the womb instead of a healthy foetus. A 'complete mole' is when there is no foetus, while a 'partial' occurs when a foetus starts to form but cannot develop into a baby. Around one in 590 pregnancies in the UK, and one in 1,000 in the US, are molar. Many women have no symptoms and are unaware they are having molar pregnancies until routine ultrasound scans. Some may experience:
Vaginal bleeding or dark discharge
Severe morning sickness
An unusually swollen abdomen
Treatment often involves removing the abnormal cells via suction. Medication may also be necessary. Treatment may also be required to remove any leftover abnormal cells, which can turn cancerous. Molar pregnancies do not affect women's chances of conceiving in the future.
Source: NHS Choices
