Bethany Dodwell pointed out the lump in her neck not thinking anything of it, even joking that she had an Adam’s apple, but years later, her mum noticed its size prompting Bethany to see a doctor
A woman who joked that she had an ‘Adam’s apple’ in her neck was devastated to discover that it was actually a 6cm cancerous tumour.
Bethany Dodwell says she first pointed out the lump in her throat to her mum in 2022 but ‘didn’t think anything of it’. The Adam’s apple, typically visible in men and less common in women, is a protrusion in the neck formed by the angle of the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx.
It was not until three years later when Bethany’s mum pointed out the size of the lump in her neck during a visit to the pub in July 2025, she decided to book a GP appointment.
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The 25-year-old says her doctor confirmed that she had a lump in her neck and ordered her an ultrasound and biopsy to investigate further. The dancer and performer says she had also been experiencing extreme fatigue and difficulty breathing, but blamed the symptoms on her busy work schedule and asthma diagnosis.
Bethany was devastated when she received the results of the biopsy on September 15 2025 and was diagnosed with grade five thyroid cancer. In December, Bethany underwent surgery to have her thyroid and a number of the surrounding lymph nodes removed, and is due to start radioactive iodine treatment at the start of February.
Bethany, from Rotherham, South Yorkshire, said: “It was a very large lump on the front of my neck. My neck was kind of coming forward a bit because the lump was so big. Years ago I remember saying to my mum about how it looked like I had an Adam’s apple on my neck. I never thought anything of it at the time, but thinking back now it probably was the start of it [the thyroid cancer].”
Bethany was prompted to book a doctor’s appointment after her mum pointed out the lump in her neck while they were at the pub last summer. Bethany said: “We were sat in the pub and my mum thought she noticed a lump in my neck. We booked a doctor’s appointment to clear our conscience and make sure everything was alright.
“They did some blood tests that day and they sent me for an ultrasound the following week. I went for the ultrasound and they said that it was inconclusive so I got referred to a consultant who put a camera down my throat, and for a biopsy on my neck.”
Bethany received the devastating thyroid cancer diagnosis in September and last month [December 3 2025] underwent surgery to have the tumour and her thyroid removed. Bethany said: “The tumour was just under 6cm. They [the doctors] said they reckon I’d had it since my early teens.
“I’m 25 now so that would be over 10 years that they reckon I’ve had it. My surgery ended up being a bit more extensive than originally planned. It had just meant to be taking my thyroid out but there was one lymph node which came back and looked a bit questionable so while I was in surgery, they took samples of my lymph nodes and took them down to test there and then.
“They came back cancerous so they had to take those out as well which meant that the surgery took longer and the scar went further up the size of my neck as well. Now I’m just in recovery – I’m waiting now for radioactive iodine treatment to get any of the remnants [of the cancer] that are left and then I’ll have a scan after that and hopefully it will have all gone.”
Bethany says she had also been experiencing extreme fatigue and difficulty breathing and swallowing prior to spotting the lump. Bethany said: “I was getting symptoms that I didn’t realise were symptoms until after my diagnosis.
“I was having problems with breathing and swallowing. I had really bad fatigue as well, I would sleep 12 hours but would still be tired and some days I would struggle to get up for work. It was really bad fatigue but I never thought anything of it because it had been happening since my early teens.
“I have severe asthma anyway so the breathing difficulties were kind of disguised with that so that went undetected. I thought the fatigue was due to my job being so physical. I was working very long days – I would be working six days a week and they would be split shifts so I could be working 8.30am until 1.30pm and then have a few hours and be back in 5.30pm until 00.30am.
“It would be like that six days a week and then on my one day off I would be doing shopping and things like that so I wouldn’t really get much downtime. I was on the go all the time and obviously it was difficult when I was so tired.”
Bethany credits her mum with ‘helping to save her life’ after she pointed out the lump. Bethany said: “My mum helped to save my life. Usually for work I’m living away from home but I’ve been back living at home now for the past year or so.
“It’s a good job that I did move back home because if I hadn’t then my mum wouldn’t have seen me to notice. I don’t think I would have noticed it on myself so I’m glad that she did and I’m glad that we didn’t call off going to the doctors.”
Bethany is now urging other people who spot something wrong to ‘always act on it’ and visit their GP. Bethany said: “If there’s ever anything that doesn’t feel right in your body, or your questioning, even if you think you’re being overdramatic, always get it checked.
“Always act on it because that’s what I did and it’s a good job that I did do that. You know your body better than anyone else and your body does tell you that’s something’s not right.”
