A woman is urging other young people to keep an eye on a "red flag" symptom after she dismissed one as an STI.
Olivia Wallace found a lump on her tongue which she thought was a sexually transmitted infection (STI) so she ignored it.
But when the lump became sore whenever she ate, Olivia, who was 20 at the time, booked to see her GP.
It was at that moment she was told she had stage 4 tongue cancer that had spread to her lymph nodes, reports Chronicle Live.
Now 26 and cancer free, Olivia is raising awareness of the signs of the disease and is urging others to visit their GP if they're worried.
She is doing it as part of a Teenage Cancer Trust campaign.
Olivia, from Sunderland, said: "I noticed a lump on my tongue and just thought it was a recurring ulcer.
"The lump was growing bigger, and I convinced myself it was an STI, so it put me off going to the doctors for seven months.
"There is a stigma attached to young women and STIs, so that deterred me from getting checked out when it was frightening."
Louise Soanes, Chief Nurse at Teenage Cancer Trust, said: "Cancer is far less likely to affect young people than older adults.
"Being able to spot potential warning signs that could lead to an earlier diagnosis really can make a difference."
She added: "Unfortunately, our research suggests that there is concerningly low awareness of the most common warning signs of cancer in the 18-24 age range, and this could be one of the reasons it takes longer for young people to be diagnosed with cancer than older adults.
"But because cancer in younger age groups is considered rare, it could also be that GPs and other healthcare professionals are less likely to suspect cancer and refer young people with symptoms on for further investigation.
"Listen to your body and if you feel that something isn't right seek medical help. It probably isn't cancer, but it's always best to check, so book an appointment with your GP to discuss your concerns.
"If you don't feel like you're getting the answers you need to keep going back, because if a patient consistently presents with concerns, healthcare professionals should listen and take these seriously."
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