Komal was noticing bald patches, losing weight, feeling breathless, and dealing with symptoms of anaemia such as tiredness and weakness.
After going to her doctor with her concerns, Komal was referred to a haematologist at a hospital in Manchester for further investigation, including scans and a bone marrow biopsy. In April 2021, she was officially diagnosed with lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma, also known as Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia.
On receiving this diagnosis, Komal said:
Lymphoma was found significantly in my bone marrow, multiple, large lymph nodes in my abdomen, and my spleen was enlarged. It was very overwhelming - my friends and family were all shocked.
Komal celebrated Eid with her family before beginning chemotherapy in May 2021 in Manchester. She completed six cycles of R-CHOP, a type of cancer drug combination used to certain lymphomas.
Following chemotherapy, scans showed Komal had had a 50% response rate to treatment. She continued to go for check-ups every 3-4 months, and her PET-CT scan in 2023 showed that her spleen was a normal size and her lymph nodes were reduced - indicating that her cancer was stable.
Since then, Komal has not required any additional cancer treatment and is now under active monitoring at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. She has also been undergoing hormone replacement therapy (HRT) due to post-chemotherapy side effects.
Komal is now using her personal experience to help others, raising awareness of lymphoma and emphasising the importance of listening to your body:
I really believe people should be advocates for their own health. If you feel something isn’t right, speak to your GP - you know your body best. This is part of the reason I particularly like being under the care of Clatterbridge, I feel very seen and heard by the staff here. Everyone is kind and genuinely looks after each other.
To find out more about the lymphoma symptoms to be aware of, please visit the Lymphoma page on our website: https://
