For six years, Anna Petty lived with a growing lump in her groin, repeatedly assured by medical professionals that it was nothing more than a harmless cyst. But at 19, the Northumberland teenager received a shocking diagnosis that would turn her world upside down – the lump was actually a rare form of skin cancer.
Anna, from Wark in Northumberland, had first noticed a small purple mark in her groin when she was 13. At first, she thought it was just a blemish. A year later, however, she had a small lump and decided to get it checked out. A GP and then a dermatologist told her it was a cyst.
A couple more years passed and, by now, Anna could feel the lump had grown. She was in discomfort when playing hockey so, after another GP visit, she was referred to a local hospital in January 2020 to have it removed. Again, the assumption of medical professionals was that Anna had a cyst, and the tissue that had been removed wasn’t even sent for analysis. By the end of 2020, the lump had returned and slowly started to grow again.
By 2023, Anna couldn’t run properly when playing sports. Again, it was surgically removed, but this time an analysis of the tissue was performed. A month later, Anna, aged 19, was told it was a tumour. She was told she had dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP), a rare type of soft tissue sarcoma cancer that tends to develop from the cells in the middle layer of the skin.
At the time she was diagnosed, Anna had no idea what DFSP was and wasn’t told it was a rare skin cancer until she later received a phone call from a Macmillan support centre.
DFSP tends to grow slowly and rarely spreads to other parts of the body. But it is important to get the correct treatment as soon as possible as DFSP can grow deep into the fat, muscle and bone, which makes it harder to treat. There are an average of 147 cases of DFSP diagnosed every year in England – about 0.05% of all cancers.
‘I was really angry that I’d been through so many people, and it took so long to be diagnosed,’ said Anna. ‘When I was told I had a tumour, I remember joking with my dad James that, if it turned out to be cancer, he’d have to buy me a wig. I was scared and taken aback when it turned out to be true. You just don’t think this will happen when you are 19.’
Anna, now aged 20, who is studying mass communication at the University of Northumbria, had a third and final operation to remove the tumour in August 2023. Cancer-free, she sees a specialist in Edinburgh every six months for check-ups.
Anna and her sister Karrie, 25, are taking part in the Great North Run in Newcastle on Sunday to raise funds for the charity Sarcoma UK.
Anna said: ‘After I was diagnosed, I turned to the Sarcoma UK website for information. It was the only place where I found reassuring and helpful advice, so we are running to raise money for Sarcoma UK. I also want to raise awareness of sarcoma and maybe help someone else in the same position I was in after being misdiagnosed for several years.’
Sarcoma UK’s Director of Communications, Kerry Reeves-Kneip, said: ‘Anna’s experience underscores the critical importance of early and accurate diagnosis in sarcoma cases. At Sarcoma UK, we hear far too often about young people like Anna who face prolonged periods of misdiagnosis. Her courage in sharing her story and raising funds through the Great North Run not only supports our work but also helps raise vital awareness about sarcomas. We hope that by amplifying voices like Anna’s, we can educate both the public and medical professionals about the signs of sarcoma, potentially saving lives through earlier intervention.’
To donate to Anna, go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/anna-petty-1707429375230
