I blamed coffee on an empty stomach for my puffy ‘moon face' and belly fat but I was living with cancer at 21
The 21-year-old, from Tring in Hertfordshire, claimed a TikTok video saved her life after it led to the discovery of the 17cm cancerous mass.
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"I had every single one of the symptoms and I thought it was so weird,' Cleo said.
'I Googled that and instantly I was like 'I've got this'.'
She had been experiencing symptoms since 2022, including bloating, weight gain, a puffy face, and facial hair, but said she 'struggled to piece them together.'
After several visits to her GP, Cleo was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in 2023.
She tried managing the symptoms with diet and lifestyle changes, even cutting out coffee, which she blamed for her puffy face.
But despite her efforts, her symptoms worsened.
Cleo said the changes to her body left her so self-conscious she 'didn't want to leave the house' or socialise.
Then, last summer, while scrolling on TikTok, Cleo came across a video of someone describing the exact symptoms she had.
Reading the comments, someone suggested it could be Cushing's syndrome, a hormonal disorder caused by excess cortisol.
'It said it was a benign tumour so I thought right OK, I've got a tumour but it's not cancer so it will be fine,' Cleo said.
The major symptoms of 'common cancer' as HSE say 'know the signs'
She booked an appointment with her GP and went through blood tests and other scans.
An MRI later revealed a 17cm tumour in her right abdomen.
The diagnosis was devastating: stage four adrenal cortical cancer, a rare and aggressive cancer of the adrenal gland.
Cleo had surgery to remove the tumour on August 30, 2024, and has since undergone six months of chemotherapy.
'I've got a few little spots [of cancer] left but they're going to rescan it at the start of September and see what's going on,' she said.
'I've got two years of the chemo tablets which would end in December 2027 but it's obviously changing all the time.
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'It might change next month, it might change next week. I've got scans every three months.
"Doctors have said they might end up doing radiotherapy or another surgery.
"They just keep discussing it all the time. Right now it's so small that it's not harming me.'
Cleo, who hopes to study fashion buying and merchandising at university, says the TikTok video saved her life.
'The first doctor I saw said that if I hadn't seen that TikTok and gone to him with that list of symptoms then it could have taken an extra year to diagnose me,' she said.
'If I'd waited another year then I would not be here because it [the tumour] was so big and it was growing into all of my other organs.
'TikTok literally saved my life. That's what I always say to my friends.
'People tell me to stop scrolling but I'm just like sorry, TikTok did save my life.
'If I didn't go to the doctors after seeing that video I would not be alive.'
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Adrenal cortical cancer (ACC) is a rare cancer that starts in the adrenal glands, which sit on top of your kidneys and produce hormones essential for your body.
Symptoms can include:
Rapid weight gain
Puffy 'moon' face
High blood pressure
Excess facial or body hair
To diagnose ACC, doctors use blood tests and scans such as MRI or CT.
Treatment usually involves surgery to remove the tumour, followed by chemotherapy or radiotherapy if needed.
Because ACC can be aggressive, early diagnosis and regular monitoring are vital.
If you notice persistent or unusual symptoms, it's important to see your doctor as soon as possible.
Source: NHS
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