Fit and healthy Edinburgh student diagnosed with ovarian cancer at just 17
An Edinburgh medical student who was diagnosed with a rare cancer at the age of 17 now uses her experience to help teens suffering from the disease.
Ahead of World Cancer Day on February 4, Edinburgh Live spoke with Elena.
She was diagnosed at 17 with ovarian germ cell cancer, which affects just one one to two percent of women ovarian cancer, according to Cancer Research UK.
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Elena received the devastating diagnosis after entering her first year of medical school at the University of Edinburgh. She underwent treatment in the following years, relapsing at the age of 18 as her cancer returned.
Now 22-years-old, Elena's cancer has receded and she has no evidence of disease. The student is involved with Teenage Cancer Trust (TCT) - which supports young people through cancer treatment - and Medics Reveal, a student-run charity that raises money for TCT. She says that her experience of diagnosis and recovery allows her connect with other young people battling the same disease.
Cancer treatment can be scary and isolating, especially for young people, says Elena.
During treatment, she suddenly found herself surrounded by older women who were suffering from the same type of cancer. Her cancer was so rare that she was transferred to a hospital in London.
Elena said: "I was suddenly in bay with older women I felt I had nothing to do with. We were at very different stages of life to be going through cancer. It was really isolating."
However, the student also underwent periods of treatment supported by the Teenage Cancer Trust at the Western General hospital in Edinburgh.
Elena was paired with a support nurse and had access to a private room, a common room with games, and things that made the "hospital experience more comfortable," like a kitchen where her dad could make her cheese toast.
She said: "It was a massive game changer in my experience of my cancer journey. I made amazing friends. You can relate to people around you so much more.
"I wouldn't be the person I am today without the support from TCT. Cancer is such an uncommon thing for a young person to go through. It made cancer feel so much less alienating and it made me feel more sane. You experience so many things that make you question your purpose in life during treatment, and it's difficult to get back to normal life. TCT helped me with my cancer journey during and post treatment."
Elena is now a third-year medical student at the University of Edinburgh. In her future career, she knows she wants to interact with patients but also loves research and developing new treatments. The 22-year-old also has a passion for yoga, which was a "lifeline" for her while undergoing cancer treatment.
And while studying oncology felt too overwhelming a few years ago, the student is now more open to a career in the field.
She said: "Initially after treatment, I thought there was no way I could do oncology. But the further I get from treatment, the more I see myself being interested.
"The time more time I have to heal mentally, I find it quite motivating. I was interested in topic of cancer before I was diagnosed, actually. It's a diverse field where you get to see patients throughout their life. And it's cool see how survival rates are better than they’ve ever been."
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Elena now partners with the Teenage Cancer Trust, drawing from her lived experience as a young cancer survivor to help improve their services.
She is also heavily involved in Medics Reveal, which is run by nursing and medical students at the University of Edinburgh.
Each year, Reveal organises a "variety dance and strip show" to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust. Ticket sales and dancer fundraising make up the donations.
Elena, who has been a dancer from a young age, is serving as head choreographer for the 2025 performance.
The variety show features dance numbers choreographed entirely by Edinburgh students, interspersed with speakers from the Teenage Cancer Trust.
At the end of the show, they reveal the amount of money that was raised for the cause. Last year, Medics Reveal raised £38,000 and sold out 1200 tickets at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
Elena added: "The atmosphere is so electric. Everyone is constantly screaming and whooping. As performer, that is such a rush.
"I recommend it to any Uni student and anyone who needs a boost. There is much diversity in reveal. It promotes so many body types."
"It's the most uplifting show I've ever been part of. People can expect to cry and laugh at same time. It recognises the work TCT does but is also very entertaining. And it's obviously as sexy as it gets."
You can purchase tickets for the 2025 Medics Reveal performance here or donate to support the cause here.
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