Thursday, 19 May 2011

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BBC News' Kate Silverton: The doctor warned me my 'pregnancy' could be a cancer tumour

Making a baby hasn't been easy for Kate Silverton and Mike Heron

Mike Heron and Kate Silverton married last December

When Kate Silverton thought a miracle had happened and she was pregnant, her doctor warned her she might actually have cancer.

The BBC News presenter, who had been told she wouldn't be able to have children, was in disbelief when a pregnancy test confirmed she was expecting - so she went to see her GP.

'He took one look at my records and advised me that given my "history" and my age, the positive result could also quite possibly be due to a pregnancy hormone-producing tumour that was mimicking a pregnancy,' says Kate, 40.

'Very rarely there are tumours that grow and produce the pregnancy hormone hCG, inducing some of the early side-effects of pregnancy but masking a much more sinister outcome - that of ovarian cancer. I couldn't quite believe it.'

Kate went to the Harley Street clinic of Professor Stuart Campbell for a scan and was relieved to find out she wasn't ill and was indeed expecting. But the worst was still to come.

Just 2 days later, Kate started bleeding heavily and was rushed to hospital, where doctors told her she was probably miscarrying and sent her home. She went to see Professor Campbell the next day.

'Once again we saw a bright white light on the ultrasound screen - and this time there was a little arm waving,' Kate tells The Mail On Sunday.

'"Your baby is still here Kate," Professor Campbell said smiling. "Look, it's saying hello."

'He was thrilled - I was in shock.'

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