Love Island All Stars: Everything you need to know about Demi Jones’s rare cancer and worrying first symptom
AFTER a terrifying heath battle following her first appearance on Love Island, Demi Jones is once again gracing screens as she enters the All Stars villa.
The influencer, 25, wowed as she walked in wearing a bright blue bikini - and viewers might have noticed a faint scar at the base of her neck.
It's remnant of Demi's brush with rare thyroid cancer, which she was diagnosed with after appearing on Love Island in 2020.
In a in collaboration with Cancer Research UK, the Demi revealed how she found out she had cancer and the first symptom she experienced from the disease: a lump in her neck.
"I remember when I came out of Love Island I got my phone back and obviously your phone just blows up, doesn't it?
"Quite a few people had messaged me and said they'd seen the lump on my neck."
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But she dismissed it at the time, as she was busy sitting her final year exams at university and didn't think for a minute it could be anything sinister.
Demi was eventually diagnosed in May 2021, having had the lump checked out at the insistence of her mum.
She recalled going into the consultation thinking she'd "be absolutely fine".
But to her shock, Demi was told the golf-ball sized lump was a rare thyroid cancer, affecting the small butterfly shaped gland that sits in the hollow between the collarbones.
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The thyroid makes and releases hormones and developing cancer there can be quite rare, according to Cancer Research UK.
Around 3,900 people are diagnosed with it in the UK each year and it’s more common in women than men.
Like Demi, initial symptoms of the disease can include a lump in your neck.
She said: "My doctor said he reckons it was there for years and years, slowly growing."
But you may also experience:
- A hoarse voice that lasts for more than three weeks
- A sore throat and difficulty swallowing that doesn't get better
These symptoms could be caused more mundane conditions - but it's important to get them seen to by a doctor, as the earlier a cancer is detected the easier it will be to treat.
'Scar is a small price to pay'
Demi had surgery to get rid of the cancerous lump, followed by a full thyrodectomy which removed her entire thryoid.
She celebrated being cancer free in December 2021.
She'd been left with a small, pink scar at the base of her neck, which Demi doesn't shy away from showing.
"Even though I've got this scar, it's a small price to pay," she said in the video posted to her Instagram.
At the time, Demi said that not a day goes by now without people messaging her to share that they'd got lumps checked because of her.
Since recovering from the disease, the Love Island star has dedicated herself to raising awareness about thyroid cancer, prompting hundreds to get their lumps checked.
Among them was Hollyoak's actress Abi Phillips, who was initially told by doctors she had a cold after noticing a worrying bump in her neck.
At the time, Demi even nominated her surgeon Costa Repanos for the Sun's Who Cares Wins awards.
She told The Sun: “I can never do enough to thank Mr Repanos for saving my life, cutting cancer out of me and leaving me with this beautiful scar that I am proud to show off.
“I cannot thank the NHS enough for their kindness and warmth throughout one of the scariest times in my life.
“Because I was diagnosed and treated during lockdown, the entire thing was extremely isolating and I couldn’t have any of my family with me whenever I went into the hospital.
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“They made me feel so at ease and comfortable even though I was going through something really traumatic.”
Opening up about her return to the villa, Demi said: "I'm actually so grateful I'm getting this experience again. It's going to be amazing to be an advocate for cancer awareness."
