Ellie Waters-Barnes, 25, was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare soft tissue cancer, in 2015 at age 14. The treatment caused early menopause at 15, leaving her infertile and halting puberty. Despite this, she earned a medical degree from Keele University with distinction on 13 July 2026 and begins work at Royal Stoke University Hospital on 5 August 2026.
Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
Ellie first noticed a kidney bean-sized lump on her left buttock in January 2015. Embarrassed, she waited six to seven months before telling her parents. By then, the lump had grown to fill her entire buttock, and she also had lumps in her groin lymph nodes, constipation from the tumour pressing on her rectum, trouble urinating, and sharp pain in her left leg when running. In August 2015, she saw a doctor, and in September 2015, she was diagnosed with stage four rhabdomyosarcoma, meaning the cancer had spread.
Treatment lasted 18 months, including nine months of intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy on her pelvis. Doctors had to use all available options. In March 2017, she achieved remission, but the therapy damaged her reproductive organs, stopping puberty and causing early menopause and infertility. Ellie said, "I didn't care how I was left, as long as I survived the cancer and made it out the other side, I didn't really care at that point about the repercussions."
Early Menopause and Its Impact
After treatment, Ellie's periods did not return within six months, confirming menopause. She experienced fatigue, aching, and other symptoms, which she initially attributed to lingering chemotherapy effects. She began hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to alleviate menopause symptoms. Ellie reflected, "I'd not really properly gone through puberty before the treatment. With the treatment, it completely went, and then I went through menopause. There was no time to catch up, or go through puberty again."
Pursuing Medicine
Inspired by her experience, Ellie decided to help others and began her Medicine degree at Keele University in September 2021. She graduated on 13 July 2026 with an MBChB degree with distinction. She said, "All this hard work has now come to this point, so I'm excited for that, albeit a little bit nervous, I can't lie, about doing such a stressful job. I don't think anything they teach at medical school can quite prepare you for the reality of the job."
Ellie initially considered specialising in oncology but decided it might be too close to home. Instead, she is drawn to endocrinology, saying, "I've had hormone problems myself from the treatment, so I'm really fascinated by hormones, and how they can really impact someone's life." She will start her first job at the Royal Stoke University Hospital on 5 August 2026 after backpacking around Europe.
Looking Forward
Ellie acknowledges the challenges ahead, given her ongoing health issues from cancer treatment. She said, "It's definitely a privilege to take care of people's health when they're in their most vulnerable state. I'm excited for that. I think the thing I'm most worried about is that I do have quite a few health problems as a result of my cancer treatment – it was 10 years ago now, but obviously the problems are ongoing. I'm just going to have to play it by ear."
