Hi all,

I'm a 34 year old non smoker (female). I went to my GP a couple of days ago, as I had noticed some blood in my spit, and it definitely wasn't coming from my gums. As I haven't had any recent colds, sore throats or chest infections, I was puzzled and thought it worth getting checked.

My GP sounded my chest and it was all normal. Weighed me, and I was slightly horrified to see that I've lost at least 4kg in the last 6-8 weeks. I don't weigh myself often, but I distinctly remember being about 64kg in November, and may have put a little weight on over Christmas. Now I'm down to 60kg! I go to the gym once or twice a week, and I eat healthily, but somehow I don't feel like it accounts for that much weight loss. I also have occasional mild upper back and left shoulder ache which comes and goes; and an occasional slight hoarseness and needing to clear my throat, which also comes and goes.

Anyway, the GP packed me off for an X Ray and now I'm waiting for the results. I know that lung cancer is extremely rare at my age, nonetheless I'm frightened and trying not to panic. I realise that most of these symptoms, individually, are easily explained by minor causes; but added together not so much.

I do have dreadful health anxiety, and I lost my father to a very aggressive prostate cancer a couple of years ago. I was put on Sertraline to help manage this a few months ago. But I'm not imagining the blood or the weight loss. Help?!