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A young Australian woman has spoken out about the moment she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer while on a backpacking trip around the world.

Tora Murphy was four weeks into her trip last year when she started to feel bloated while in South East Asia.

She didn’t think much of it and thought it might be due to common travel illnesses such as Bali belly.

However, her discomfort persisted as she and her boyfriend, Hewson Perry, continued their journey to Colombia in South America.

‘I kind of put it down to the fact that obviously I was drinking and eating lots of different foods,’ Ms Murphy told Daily Mail Australia.

‘I literally Googled it, and it said travellers bloating is really common. So, I didn’t really think anything of it. It was normal bloating, and I just thought I was putting on weight.

‘But it got worse and worse over those few weeks, and I ended up looking like I was about six months pregnant.’

As her symptoms worsened, Ms Murphy realised something serious was going on.

WHAT IS OVARIAN CANCER? 

Ovarian cancer is a disease where abnormal cells develop in the ovaries, part of the female reproductive system. 

Treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, which are often needed, can affect fertility by removing ovaries or even the uterus. 

Detecting and treating ovarian cancer early is vital because it can spread unnoticed and become harder to treat. 

Regular check-ups and knowing the symptoms are key for early detection and better survival rates. 

She waited until she got to London to check out her symptoms. Once there, she went straight to the emergency room, where doctors ran some tests. 

Ms Murphy was left in ‘complete shock’ when the doctor returned and ‘dropped the cancer bomb’, explaining they had found a cancerous mass on her pelvis.

It was diagnosed as stage three ovarian cancer.

‘I was like “What do you mean a mass? What do you mean cancer?” It never even crossed my mind,’ Ms Murphy said.

‘From there, it was literally like go, go, go. The consultant wanted to see me straight away, and I needed to make a decision about where I was going to get treatment, in London or in Australia.’

Just seven-weeks into her dream backpacking adventure, and after spending ten days at the hospital, Ms Murphy flew back to Australia.

Brisbane woman Tora Murphy was on her dream backpacking adventure with her boyfriend Hewson Perry when she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer

The 24-year-old and her boyfriend had to cut their year-long trip short and return to Australia for treatment

Brisbane woman Tora Murphy, 24, was seven weeks into a year long round-the-world backpacking adventure with her boyfriend when she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer (pictured, Tora Murphy and partner Hewson Perry)

Ms Murphy said she initially thought her bloating symptom was caused by a parasite, travellers tummy or even Bali belly - having travelled to the island earlier on in their adventure

Ms Murphy said she initially thought her bloating symptom was caused by a parasite, travellers tummy or even Bali belly – having travelled to the island earlier on in their adventure

A return to Australia 

Once back in Australia, Ms Murphy began treatment at Mater Hospital in Brisbane. 

Doctors explored ways to preserve her fertility, but they concluded that she needed a full hysterectomy and removal of her ovaries due to the advanced stage of her cancer. 

Unfortunately, because of how advanced her cancer was, they couldn’t extract or freeze any of Ms Murphy’s eggs.

Ms Murphy said that she hasn’t fully come to terms with the surgery, as it took away the option of having children before she even had a chance to consider starting a family. 

The 24-year-old was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer and returned to Australia for treatment. She underwent surgery to remove the 18cm mass on her pelvis and had a full hysterectomy

‘I’ve kind of pushed it to the side a little bit in terms of dealing with that emotionally just because I am young,’ Ms Murphy said. 

‘I can’t even really fathom it because I wasn’t even at a point in my life to be thinking about children. I was just living my best life being young and travelling with my boyfriend.

‘I will do anything to just be healthy and alive, so having my own children was not a priority in comparison to my own life right now.’

The 24-year-old is nearing the end of her 12-round chemotherapy plan, with just four more rounds of treatment left. 

She added there is a higher chance of recurrence as her cancer was found in such a late stage but remains hopeful that her disease is curable.  

Ms Murphy will have to check in with her doctors every three months for two years before progressing to six month checks for another five years. 

The regular checks have not deterred her and her boyfriend’s travel plans, with the pair hoping to be stationed in Thailand for three months at the end of the year. 

‘What gets me through my day is just planning for the future,’ Ms Murphy said. 

‘Travelling is going to look a little bit differently for me in the future, obviously I’m not gonna be able to just go willy nilly for a year… we’ll do more slow kinda travel, like three months at a time sort of thing.’

Fortunately, Ms Murphy has a strong support network helping her through her cancer journey, including her boyfriend Mr Perry. 

‘He is a sweety, like the best support ever, like I couldn’t ask for better. Honestly, don’t know what I would have done without him,’ Ms Murphy said.

She also encouraged young women to live their lives to the fullest as ‘life can change in a heartbeat’.    

‘Live your life to the fullest and do things that make you happy because anything can happen and your life can change in a heartbeat. ‘Be grateful for everyday and grateful for your health,’ Ms Murphy said.   

‘Ovarian cancer is hard to detect because the symptoms are so vague. The symptoms don’t make you think “Oh my God! I have cancer”.

‘But if they are on-going you need to advocate yourself. If something’s wrong, get a check-up.’

Using TikTok to reach other young women 

The average age of an ovarian cancer patient is 64-years-old, making Ms Murphy one of the youngest patients being treated for the disease at Mater.  

Ms Murphy said she struggled to find a support group that she could relate to as her type of cancer is predominately diagnosed in older women. 

‘I struggled the most in finding people I could relate to because all the support groups like on Facebook are made up of woman 60 years and older,’ Ms Murphy said. 

‘Every time I’ve gone on there I’m like, I just don’t feel the vibes in here. So like it’s a bit hard to relate to anyone with my diagnosis because it’s always older women.’

Ms Murphy has documented her cancer journey on TikTok as a way to reach other young woman who are struggling with the disease

Ms Murphy has documented her cancer journey on TikTok as a way to reach other young woman who are struggling with the disease

Ms Murphy explained Facebook support groups were often made up of women in their 60s  and she struggled to relate to their stories

She said  her videos have reached other young women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer

Ms Murphy explained Facebook support groups were often made up of women in their 60s and she struggled to relate to their stories. She added her TikTok videos (pictured) have reached other young women who have been diagnosed with ovarian cancer 

The young woman decided to document her cancer journey on TikTok and has inadvertently created a support group for a younger generation who suffer from ovarian cancer. 

‘I just wanted to be that person in case someone else was in the same situation as me and I have reached a fair few people who have found it really helpful and thanked me for sharing the process.’

She urged woman speak up for themselves and see a doctor if they sense something is off with their body. 

Mater Hospital in Brisbane (pictured) is the leading treatment and research centre for ovarian cancer in Queensland, treating around 130 women of the 285 diagnosed with the disease in the state each year

Mater Hospital in Brisbane (pictured) is the leading treatment and research centre for ovarian cancer in Queensland, treating around 130 women of the 285 diagnosed with the disease in the state each year

Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month

Ms Murphy is sharing her story for Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month in February – a time to focus attention on a disease, which claims the lives of about 1,000 Australian women each year. 

Ovarian cancer is commonly found in women aged over 50, with around 1,300 Australian women diagnosed each year. 

Ovarian cancer is the deadliest gynaecological cancer and has a five-year survival rate of 49 per cent. 

Senior Medical Oncologist at Mater Cancer Care Centre Doctor Catherine Shannon (pictured) said Ms Murphy's cancer was 'extremely uncommon'

Senior Medical Oncologist at Mater Cancer Care Centre Doctor Catherine Shannon (pictured) said Ms Murphy’s cancer was ‘extremely uncommon’

There is no available screening test for ovarian cancer, which means most cases are advanced when they are detected.   

Mater is one of only three hospital centres for the treatment of gynaecological cancers in Queensland and treats about 130 ovarian cancer patients a year – just under half of the state’s total new annual cases.

Senior Medical Oncologist at the Mater Cancer Care Centre Doctor Catherine Shannon said Ms Murphy’s cancer was unusual.

‘Ovarian cancer is largely a disease of older women, but Ms Murphy has a mucinous subtype that we sometimes see in young women, although it is extremely uncommon,’ Dr Shannon said. 

‘Tora’s surgery has been successful and she’s tolerating chemotherapy well. Her case illustrates how vague the symptoms of ovarian cancer be.

‘It’s important for all women, of any age, to know the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer – including bloating, pelvic pain and abdominal distention.

‘If they experience these symptoms persistently it is important to see a doctor and have them investigated.’

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This post first appeared on Daily mail