A 51-year-old woman from Cambridgeshire who was told her hot flushes and night sweats were perimenopause has revealed they were actually symptoms of stage four lung cancer. Kim Oakhill, a mother of three from Ely, is now fundraising for private treatment after being told the NHS can no longer offer her life-extending options.
Misdiagnosed as Perimenopause
In 2024, Kim was a healthy and fit 48-year-old when she began experiencing persistent leg pain, fatigue, night sweats, and hot flushes. After consulting her GP, her symptoms were attributed to perimenopause, and she was prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT). However, her condition did not improve. Over time, her HRT dose was increased, but her symptoms worsened. By February 2025, she developed a cough, which doctors believed was an unrelated infection.
The Shocking Diagnosis
Over the following months, Kim was diagnosed with acid reflux, asthma, and a chest infection, but no medication provided relief. New symptoms emerged, including changes to her voice. She recalled: "It started to get quite low, or quite high. It wasn't painful, my voice just sounded different."
Eventually, she was sent for a CT scan, which doctors said was "just to rule out anything serious." The next morning, she was told the scan had revealed a mass on her right lung, which was cancerous and classified as stage four. The cancer had also spread to the lining of her heart and brain, making it advanced and inoperable. Kim said: "They showed me a mass on my right lung and liquid around my lung and heart. I expected them to come back from the scan and say I needed new chest infection medication - it was an unbelievable shock."
Life Expectancy Under 12 Months
Kim underwent several rounds of intensive chemotherapy to extend her life. After finishing a course in April, she experienced excruciating limb pain, hair loss, and severe sickness. She was later told it was unclear how long it would be until the cancer began spreading again, and at that stage, the NHS could offer nothing more. Anticipating a life expectancy of under 12 months, Kim is now fundraising £150,000 for private targeted treatment.
Kim said: "I just have to keep staying positive for my family, and for myself. It does consume me, but I have to try and not let that happen. I had never smoked, and I want to stop the stigma that says you don't get lung cancer unless you smoke. If you have lungs, you can get lung cancer."
To support Kim's fundraiser, visit her GoFundMe page.
