Kath initially attributed her bleeding to menopause when she began experiencing it in 2013. Despite her daughter’s request that she be checked out, she continued to work.

However, right before Christmas in 2013, she experienced a severe bleed, prompting her to seek medical attention.

Kath went to her GP in January 2014 and was referred to Royal Bolton Hospital for a biopsy. She was told she had womb cancer.

“When you hear the word cancer your mind runs riot and I was thinking: ‘Am I going to live to see my grandchildren grow up?’” Kath said.

“I felt sick as I didn’t know what was going on. It was as though I was in a dream. I was devastated when I found out and cried with my husband holding my hand.”

Thankfully, Kath’s cancer was discovered at an early stage, allowing her to have life-saving surgery to remove her ovaries and cervix. She didn’t need radiotherapy or chemotherapy after the operation because all of the cancer was removed, and she is now cancer-free.

Her journey, however, did not finish there.

“After finishing my treatment I wanted to make some changes,” Kath said.

“We don’t know what caused my cancer, but I have to admit that I was carrying a few extra pounds. So now I exercise and eat better to be healthier. I also wanted to be a role model for my family.”

Can excess weight or higher BMI cause womb cancer?

A multinational study analyzed DNA samples from over 120,000 women in Australia, Belgium, Germany, Poland, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States, of whom approximately 13,000 were diagnosed with womb cancer.

This comprehensive statistical investigation is one of the first of its type to look at the impact of a higher BMI throughout one’s life on the risk of womb cancer.

The study discovered that for every 5 more BMI units, a woman’s chance of womb (endometrial) cancer nearly doubles (increase of 88 percent ).

This is higher than most previous research have revealed, and it reflects weight status throughout time rather than a snapshot in time, as most other studies do. The difference in BMI units between overweight and obese is 5 units, approximately two stone in the case of a 5’5 adult woman.

Dr. Jullie Sharp from Cancer Research UK says “being overweight or obese is the second biggest cause of cancer.

“We already know that being overweight or obese increases your risk of developing 13 different types of cancer. To reduce your cancer risk, it’s important to maintain a healthy weight by eating a balanced diet and staying active.”

Every year, Kath runs the CRUK Race For Life to raise money and awareness for cancer research.

“Reading some of the words on people’s backs about why they were running brought it all back to me about how important this is,” Kath said.

“My daughter’s notes said: ‘Running for our Mum who beat womb cancer!’”

“It’s worrying to see that womb cancer rates are on the rise, and although weight isn’t the only risk factor, I want to encourage other women to live healthily so that fewer women go through what I went through.

“I hope that my story helps others make a change in their life.”

Image Credit: Getty

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