News story 3 November 2025
A Stockport PE teacher is urging others to trust their instincts and seek medical advice at the first sign of unusual symptoms after her own delayed visit to the GP led to a stage 4 cancer diagnosis.
Sharon Withington, 55, loves football and collecting trainers. She first noticed a slightly swollen stomach in April 2024 but assumed it was weight gain. Fit, active, and eating healthily, she didn’t think much of it.
It wasn’t until September - 5 months later - when she began leaking wee that she went to her GP. Suspecting a urinary tract infection, Sharon was prescribed antibiotics, but the issue persisted. After a second round of antibiotics also had no impact, she vowed to go back to her GP after a half-term adventure holiday with her students.
Sharon, who has worked at Stockport Grammar School for nearly 27 years, said: “The thing that made me go back to the GP was that, in addition to my other symptoms, my stomach swelled up like a balloon for no reason. I put off going back to the doctor for ages even though I knew something was wrong. That would be my message for other people – you know your body best, so if something feels even slightly wrong, get it checked out as soon as possible.”
Sharon was quickly referred for an ultrasound and blood tests. By November, a biopsy confirmed she had advanced ovarian cancer, which had spread to her liver. Her main tumour was 17cm long. In December, she began treatment at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, a specialist cancer centre in Manchester.
Her treatment at The Christie has included chemotherapy, immunotherapy and a 12-hour operation where she had a full hysterectomy. Her abdomen was then filled with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) – a type of heated chemotherapy – to kill any cancer that remained unseen. The Christie is one of only 2 hospitals in the country to offer this specialist treatment.
Despite being diagnosed at stage 4 – the latest stage when cancer can be diagnosed – recent scans have shown Sharon is now cancer-free. However, she will remain on treatment for the rest of her life.
“When they told me that I was cancer-free, my jaw dropped to the floor. Someone had to bring me a glass of water I was that shocked.
“My first couple of sessions of chemo were a bit rough, but I’ve tolerated the rest of my treatment quite well. I don’t get any real side effects from the immunotherapy and am back at Stockport Grammar School teaching hockey.
“Everyone at The Christie has been amazing, they couldn’t do enough for you. On the day I got told there was no evidence of cancer in my body, I actually bumped into one of the nurses who looked after me when I fainted during one of my first chemo sessions. It was a lovely, full-circle moment,” she says.
“No one knows what the future holds, but I’m just celebrating where I am now. Thanks to advances in treatment and care, I’m living a very full life, and I feel very lucky,” Sharon adds.
“Sharon has done incredibly well following her intense treatment,” comments Dr Jurjees Hasan, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Christie. “It’s great to see that she’s back to doing the things she loves – that’s always our goal as clinicians. “As with most cancers, ovarian cancer is much easier to treat if we catch it early, so I’d encourage anyone who feels bloated, has tummy pain or is peeing more often to go and see their GP as soon as possible.”