I can certainly understand why you think she is fabricating her illness. Amongst other things, I'm sure her husband would have sussed it out if she has had bowel cancer since October!

She sounds like a very sad person who needs to make her life sound interesting because she thinks it isn't! I'm no psychologist but the fact she's always on holiday tells me she can't settle in one place for any length of time & is always searching for something exciting in her life. Sadly, the attention she will get from her friends when she mentions cancer will make her feel good, for a short time. 

I've never had personal experience of anyone like this but a good friend (S)who sadly passed away recently with cancer, had a similar situation with an old friend. When S was diagnosed with terminal cancer her good friend suddenly had a terrible heart disease which left her in a wheelchair. Over the next few months it became obvious that her illness wasn't serious & she didn't need a wheelchair but she wouldn't admit to lying because now she had all the attention that their friends had been giving S. My friend decided she didn't need this emotional stress in her final months so she firmly but fairly cut all ties with her friend. 

I think, if I was in your position, I would quietly detach myself from the friendship. As you don't see her much anyway you can find reasons not to meet up & say you can't afford to go away next time. I wouldn't speak to her family, it may be that her husband knows he's married to a 'Walter Mitty' character and puts up with it. If she cottons on that she's losing your friendship she may come clean & explain her actions. Personally I think she needs counselling but there is no point confronting her as it would probably just get messy. xx

How could you find out if someone near you was faking having any sort of cancer? 
Does anyone know the shortest amount of time someone with cancer receives radiotherapy? And what are the main symptoms? 

Hello Helpme3000,

                               seeing that someone has cancer is fraught with the sometimes impossible,unless they are at the very late stage with their bodies organs affected so badly they are heading into shutdown.Very often what you see with someone going through cancer are the severe effects of the treatment being given to cure them.l was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer with spread to the liver,and there was no way you could have told this from my appearance,my physical condition and ability to work long 7 day weeks,with no signs of fatigue.l was just very fortunate that a neighbour had bowel cancer and conversing with him had raised my awareness,so when l spotted a small amount of stale blood in my stool, l jumped quickly for an investigation.Had l not have done,l would have carried on until the point of the obvious,which would have been game over.Cancer does not arrive for a lot of people with bells and whistles,and can be slow moving or rapidly aggressive,no one size to fit all.

Not all cancers will need radiotherapy,some will be palliative,some like mine will be in a matter of a few weeks,trying to hold spread and shrink it back until l could get on an operating table,whilst others will be post operative to mop up any stray cells.length of treatment varies with individuals,from a few weeks to months

 The main symptoms would be fatigue in varying degrees from mild to utter exhaustion, sickness,,skin rash,loss of sex drive,erectile disfunction,and can generally play havoc with body functions but some people will sail through and have little or no side effects.Most will only suffer short time,but others will carry the resulting damage to their grave

            In short, dangerous to rush to conclusions based upon what you think you see,looks can often be deceptive,

                  David