A 35-year-old UK mother of three, Sian Ashcroft, tragically passed away just 18 days after being diagnosed with terminal cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in January 2024.

Her health issues began in spring 2023 when she was found to be anaemic after attempting to donate blood. Despite taking iron supplements, by August she started experiencing abdominal pain, initially dismissing it as food poisoning. Tests later suggested gallstones, leading to surgery to insert a stent in her bile duct.

In November 2023, doctors discovered a liver lesion, but the formal cancer diagnosis didn’t come until two months later—when it was already too late.

Sian’s mother, Sue Dowling, shared how her daughter remained positive and brave despite frequent hospital visits and declining health. The CCA charity AMMF highlighted that most cases, like Sian’s, are diagnosed too late, with only 21% detected in the early stages.

AMMF’s CEO, Helen Morement, emphasized the need for greater awareness, urging doctors to test liver function when patients present with persistent, unexplained symptoms.