Woman's Selfie Reveals 17cm Tumor: 'I Was Lucky'

After finishing her hair and makeup to go out with friends in late 2022, Sara Titchen captured a selfie to ensure she was happy with the finished look. It's a trick many of us have used before, but how many people can say that it's saved their life?

Titchen, 24, thought her eyes looked wet and uneven at first glance, but she put it to the back of her mind, telling herself it was nothing. Perhaps it was just the lighting, maybe it will go away over time, she thought. But it never did, and in May 2023, Titchen's selfie camera was fundamental in revealing a shock cancer diagnosis.

"I was getting ready, and I did my hair in a slicked back ponytail, so I was recording myself and trying to make sure my ponytail looked OK," she told Newsweek. "When I was watching back the video, my eyes looked noticeably different. I thought they looked weird, but I still thought I was being a bit vain."

To put her own mind at ease, Titchen, from Hertfordshire, U.K., booked an optician's appointment, and although her vision was perfectly fine, her pupils were different sizes. This minor difference between her eyes was an alarming sign and she was later referred to a specialist.

"They were testing for all sorts of things, and they diagnosed me with Horner syndrome, which I'd never heard of before. At that point, alarm bells should have been ringing because if you have Horner syndrome, it's an indication of something more serious," she said.

This discovery of Horner syndrome, which can present as drooping of the eyelid, constricted pupil, and lack of sweating, was a grave concern for Titchen's doctors. As explained by the National Library of Medicine, it occurs due to a disruption with the sympathetic nervous system, so it was evident that something far greater was wrong.

While Titchen remained unaware of what lay in store, she had an emergency CT scan which led to the revelation that she in fact had stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma, which affects around 2,100 people in the U.K. each year, according to the National Health Service (NHS). It's thought that it predominantly impacts people between the ages of 20 and 40, and those over 75.

The discovery of Horner syndrome, which affects one in every 6,000 people according to the Cleveland Clinic, may have been the catalyst to reveal Titchen's cancer, but according to Dr. Tanya Siddiqi, the link between the two is very rare.

Siddiqi, of the Lennar Foundation Cancer Center located in City of Hope Orange County, told Newsweek: "It's rare for lymphoma to be a cause of Horner syndrome, which is why it is essential for patients who present with symptoms to receive a comprehensive physical examination. While not always a prerequisite to cancer, it's critical to still seek medical care if you have symptoms of Horner syndrome to determine the underlying health issue and the severity."

As a hematologist-oncologist specializing in blood cancer, Siddiqi notes that Titchen's early signs of cancer are unusual, as lymphoma symptoms typically include swollen glands, shortness of breath, sudden weight loss, or flu-like symptoms. "Having one or more of these symptoms does not mean that you have lymphoma. See your physician if they keep coming back or persist for more than two weeks," she continued.

'I Was Lucky in a Way That I Had a Physical Change'

Recounting her shock at the diagnosis, Titchen said she'd "never even heard of lymphoma before," and found it so hard to believe because she felt fine. She was a regular at the gym, ate healthily, and didn't appear to have any obvious symptoms, so how could she possibly have cancer?

She continued: "Once I got diagnosed, I went straight to Google and I realized that I did have some of the symptoms, like night sweats, but it was quite hot at that time of year, so I didn't think anything of it. I had a wheeze, which we now think was because I had a 17-centimeter tumor on my chest, but I thought I had asthma. Fatigue, I mean, everyone's tired aren't they?

"I was lucky in a way that I had a physical change because if I didn't have that, I don't think I would have found out. It's quite a unique diagnosis, I guess."

She had only turned 24 a matter of weeks prior, but now instead of getting ready to go out with friends and enjoying life as a master's student, Titchen was faced with the prospect of freezing her eggs before starting chemotherapy. The thought of starting a family seemed so distant, but now it was a decision she had to make before it was no longer a possibility.

'I Was Very Proud of My Hair, and I Was Absolutely Gutted'

A well-known side effect of cancer treatment is hair loss, which Titchen braced herself for. But before starting chemotherapy in June 2023, she opted to cut it into a short bob and donate to The Little Princess Trust, a U.K.-based charity that provides real-hair wigs for children and adolescents who lose their hair because of cancer or conditions such as alopecia.

The charity relies on people to donate generous lengths of hair to create the wigs, and in the past they have even accepted donations from the likes of Harry Styles and Kate Middleton. But in the summer, Titchen added her name to the esteemed list, as she knew that some day soon, she might need a wig of her own.

Titchen told Newsweek: "I was very proud of my hair, and I was absolutely gutted that it was going to fall out. It hit me really hard, and every time I thought about it, I'd burst into tears. I knew it was going to happen and I had no choice in the matter, so I thought cutting it into a bob would be a good stepping stone. I would recommend it to anyone in a similar position."

Several weeks after starting chemotherapy, when she felt as though she no longer looked like herself, she finally felt ready to put on her new wig. She instantly loved how it gave her part of her identity back and "massively brought back [her] confidence."

Having experienced how lifechanging The Little Princess Trust can be, Titchen has planned a fundraising event for January 2024 which invites guests to not only donate their money, but also their hair. "I knew early on that I wanted to do something special. So as soon as I realized that people wanted to help in some way, this seemed like a good direction," she continued.

Ahead of the event, Wendy Tarplee-Morris, founder of The Little Princess Trust, told Newsweek that she feels "very privileged" to have worked with Titchen, who continues to fight for other people while facing her own battle.

"We are particularly humbled that, while dealing with everything that life has thrown at her, she still wanted to do something to help others," she said.

'I Went From Going to the Opticians, to Being Diagnosed With Cancer'

Since the day of her diagnosis, Titchen refused to let cancer get the better of her and she has documented her story on social media (@_thebigchop_). As her diagnosis was so unusual, and she admits that she had no idea that cancer was even a possibility in her 20s, she hopes to encourage others to pay attention to any possibly warning signs—even if they think they might just be "being vain."

"People are very interested in my diagnosis because it's quite unusual. What makes it so terrifying is that I went from just going to the opticians for a checkup, to being diagnosed with cancer days later. It was just the biggest shock ever," she told Newsweek.

"I didn't know anyone my age with cancer, so I kind of associated it as something you get when you're old or unhealthy. I was very naïve back then. The most important thing for me is raising awareness about lymphoma and spreading the message about the charity."

After completing her course of chemotherapy, Titchen is now in remission and is recovering from treatment. Once the door is closed on this chapter of her life, she aims to continue fundraising and even start a new job in the spring.

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