A MUM's typical 'flu' symptoms turned out to be the signs of a little-known but very aggressive cancer. Emma Snape, from Lancashire, began to come down with cold-like symptoms in February, which quickly escalated, landing her in hospital. Doctors at first diagnosed the 34-year-old with pneumonia, a serious and sometimes life-threatening lung infection.
Months later, tests revealed the underlying illness to be epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE), an extremely rare cancer that only affects one in a million people. It forms in the cells that line the blood vessels and can emerge anywhere in the body. EHE is most commonly associated with young and middle-aged adults, and is more common in women.
Read more on cancer One of the signs is a dry cough that can make breathing difficult. When Emma was diagnosed, doctors found 20 nodules in her lungs and more in her omentum - the fatty tissue extends from the stomach to the intestines. The mum-of-two was told her cancer was terminal.
Only half of those who receive a diagnosis will live longer than five years. Most read in Health She has since been in and out of the hospital for dozens of appointments, as she continued to fight the horrendous condition. Emma's twin sister Kym, also a mother of two, said: "[It's been] heartbreaking to watch her go through this.
"It's technically a terminal diagnosis as there's no cure for it. It's been the hardest year," the 34-year-old said. She added: "With her being my twin, it's been so hard for me .