To feel annoyed my cancer concerns are being brushed off?

[Bippitybopityboo]

I'm 25 and I am 29 weeks pregnant. Since November I have been having chesty coughs and thick green phlegm (sorry) every 3 weeks. In January there was also blood in my phlegm so I saw my gp who agreed to send me for a chest x-ray un till he realised I was pregnant. Then today I have seen another gp from my surgery,I explained my concerns and said I have also been wheezing at times too though the blood in my phlegm has stopped. She listened to my chest and said she believes it's just winter bugs due to my lowered immune system. I said to her I am worried about lung cancer and she almost laughed at me and looked shocked. Cancer is so common now a days I'm not sure why they aren't taking me seriously.
Anyway I left no better off and with no answers. AIBU to be really worried or should I listen to the doctors when they have said I don't seem like i have cancer?

I think it's probably a bit premature to be worried about cancer, especially as the lack of blood suggests you're now improving. Keep an eye on it though and go back if it doesn't get any better.

Are you a heavy smoker or have you/do you live with a heavy smoker?
It's very unlikely you would have lung cancer at 25yo. Are you usually quite anxious?

I think in the absence of other symptoms that they know best

You can't force them to send you for endless costly tests on a whim

My asthma got worse when I was pregnant. You might need an inhaler for the wheezing.

I used to work in Lung cancer. It is extremely rare at your age. If you have a longstanding cough that sounds as if it is getting better I would be less worried. You could have irritated the lining of your lung/throat with the cough, bringing the blood.
Do you have a strong family history of lung ca?
Is that why you are worried? Sounds as thought you have been googling?

It's really not on a whim though.
In poorly with my chest every 3 weeks I can't see how that's normal!
I don't smoke but my mum is a heavy smoker and smoked around me when I was younger.
Admittedly I am anxious and my anxiety has worsened during this pregnancy.

My DGM has had your symptoms for 3 years, it isn’t cancer and they have no idea what it is. They think maybe it is environmental from living in a city centre for many years.

No family history of lung Cancer, and I do understand it is rare. I have been googling and have a lot of the symptoms from the NHS website. It's all I can think about constantly because the outlook for lung cancer isnt great and I feel like IF I do have it in wasting time!

I think you're anxiety is pretty high. It's not a normal thing to worry about.
We're just coming out of winter and your immune system is low due to being pregnant.

My dad has got terminal lung cancer and doesn't even have a cough btw. He's 60, smoked for most of his adult life and his mother also died from lung cancer.
There's no reason that a non smoking 25yo would have lung cancer.

Speak to your mw about your anxiety, they may be able to help

In the nicest way, please stop googling. You'll end up 'square peg, round holing' your symptoms - that is, making them fit the diagnosis you think you have. If I do that I've got 4 or 5 of the symptoms of prostate cancer.

Have a chat with your GP and midwife about your anxiety.

Lung cancer in a non-smoking 25 year old is such a minute risk that it’s really really not worth risking your baby to rule out.
And that’s without counting the experience of the GP’s who’ve actually examined you and say that your symptoms look in their expert opinion like a series of nasty lingering winter chest bugs.

My kids have had nasty coughs all winter, it isn't unusual.

you really have just had a chest infection.

Have you had morning sickness at all? I had blood in my phlegm (sorry TMI) quite a bit when I was pregnant but it was because of the acid damaging my throat from being sick so much.

You're 25. lung cancer in that age group is vanishingly rare and you haven't given any alarm symptoms. Do you generally get over-anxious about your health?

What would you like your GP to do?

Have you even taken antibiotics?

A chronic cough with green phlegm is a chest infection. Blood streaked phlegm is from irritation. Its only concerning if theres more than an eggcup full of blood.

My 1st gp5was about to refer me for a chest x-ray untill he realised I was pregnant. I wouldn't want to cause risk to my baby but some days i feel so low and tearful that my children will be without me if I do have cancer and it progresses and becomes worse. I know it's so rare but it's not impossible. I do see how it could be my anxiety making thinks worse though

You need to get a grip, deal with your health anxiety and stop wasting your GP’s time. They aren’t going to start exposing your foetus to X-ray radiation simply because you googled 2+2 and came up with 55 for an answer.

You don't really want to take the risk of exposing your baby to an X-ray just to ease your anxiety, do you?

Pregnancy hormones can trigger asthma. That sounds more likely

Op google the symptoms of chest infection.

I often hack up blood streaked phlegm when I have a bad cough. IIRC it's because the blood vessels in the throat get irritated and pop from all the hacking. It's defo not cancer in my case or I would've croaked from lung cancer by 11.

I have this constantly in the winter for years they thought I wS asthmatic but recently gp said because I've broken my nose years ago and my nostrils are a bit wonky snot gets backed up and drips down back of my throat and comes back up as phlegm - saline nose drops help ...been to ent and X-ray to confirm ...it isn't pleasant and can be a bit scary but clears up in spring and summer