Placenta tumour: My miracle baby gave me cancer

When Li Li, 43, fell pregnant, the cells of her placenta turned into a cancerous tumour.

By the time Luca was born, it had spread across the new mum's body and her life was in peril.

But thanks to pioneering immunotherapy, doctors managed to save her and she is about to enjoy the festive season with her family cancer-free.

Li Li, who lives with business analyst husband Kevin Guthrie, 58, in Sunderland, said: "We are so looking forward to spending this Christmas together. Now I'm all clear thanks to the amazing treatment I was given, and we can celebrate properly."

The couple were thrilled when Li Li became pregnant early last year, as they had been trying for a family since they wed in 2018.

But after five months Li Li started suffering heavy bleeding. "The doctors told me it was nothing to worry about but a few weeks later I started coughing up blood," she said.

"Then I got shooting pains in my chest. I was told it was pneumonia and given antibiotics."

Then in October last year her lung collapsed. Doctors didn't know why and so delivered Luca five weeks early by Caesarean. She weighed fewer than 5lbs.

It was then they discovered cancer had developed in the placenta. The rare growth affects only one in 50,000 pregnancies.

Li Li said: "It was such a shock. Because the disease was so aggressive it had already spread into my womb, bones and brain too. There was no time to lose, I had to start treatment straight away. I'd just given birth to Luca and now doctors were trying to save my life."

She began immunotherapy at Weston Park Hospital in Shef-field. The pioneering cancer treatment uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to help the body find and destroy cancer cells. She was given the all-clear in September.

"I wouldn't be here if it hadn't been for the team there," said Li Li. "I can't thank them enough. They have saved this family."

Dr Matt Winter, who is based at the specialist cancer centre

in South Yorkshire, said: "We were delighted to be able to care for Li Li and it is great to see her back at home with her family and making a good recovery."