Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 10
Renee Coakes, 22, Enters Remission From Stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma After 6 Chemotherapy Sessions
Updated
Updated · Newsweek · Aug 10

Renee Coakes, 22, Enters Remission From Stage 2 Hodgkin Lymphoma After 6 Chemotherapy Sessions

1 articles · Updated · Newsweek · Aug 10

Summary

  • A late-July PET scan showed no active cancer in 22-year-old Renee Coakes, putting her stage 2 Hodgkin lymphoma into remission before her final treatment protocol.
  • Seven neck lumps, fatigue, itchy skin, night sweats and unplanned weight loss drove Coakes back to doctors after a small lump first found in January was initially linked to infection or sinusitis.
  • An April biopsy confirmed lymphoma, and Coakes began a six-session chemotherapy plan that she said caused weakness, acid reflux and heartburn; by June, she shaved her head as her hair fell out.
  • Coakes, from the U.K., said she is sharing her experience on TikTok to urge others to trust persistent symptoms and seek further checks when something feels wrong.

Insights

Her mid-treatment scan showed no active cancer, allowing a chemotherapy reduction. How do doctors distinguish deadly tumors from harmless scar tissue so quickly?
A doctor initially blamed her neck lump on sinusitis, but it was cancer. How can you tell when a simple swollen gland is deadly?
Diagnosed after years of profound grief, could severe emotional trauma actually suppress the immune system enough to trigger blood cancer in young adults?