A DEVOTED grandmother has spoken of her determination to beat the rare cancer she was diagnosed with, for the sake of her nine grandchildren.

Ruth Cairns, 61, from Walney recently discovered she had a very rare cancerous tumour found in part of the small intestine called the duodenum.

The devastating news came weeks after the mum-of-five had sought over-the-counter medicine to treat her severe stomach pains and bloating.

Mrs Cairns said: "It's there, and I've got to deal with it and get on - I've got to give myself a chance for my grandkids' sake.

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"I think people need to know about this, so they can be aware it could happen to them.

"It's been a very emotional month; it's been like a whirlwind, but the support I'm getting from family has been overwhelming."

The Cardiff Street resident was diagnosed on August 21 and began chemotherapy at Barrow's Furness General Hospital on Monday September 11, after being told her cancer had spread to her liver and was now inoperable.

She added: "It's a 50/50 chance which I'm taking, and I'm hoping everything works for my family's sake.

"I have been a stay-at-home mum my whole life; my oldest child is 40 and I have always been there for my family - they are finding this really hard.

"I'm fairly strong and I've got to be because it's hit my husband really hard - we've been together for 42 years."

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Mrs Cairns is keen to talk about her diagnosis in the hope she can spread awareness of the rare condition, which she says was only picked up on by medics after undergoing a series of blood tests.

"I could have had this for 18 months or more, I just don't know.

"I had a gut feeling, but this time I'm positive the first lot of chemo will work.

"It's something that people don't hear of - we hear about breast cancer, cervical cancer, and men with prostate cancer, but I don't think anyone knows about this."

What to look out for:

Tumours most commonly develop in two areas where bile enters the small intestine, known as periampullary and the ampullary portions of the duodenum.

Duodenal tumors can prevent food from moving from the stomach into the small intestine, causing a blockage of the gastrointestinal tract. Blockages may present the first symptoms of duodenal cancer, which can include:

• Nausea and vomiting

• Mass in the abdomen

• Cramping pain

• Acid reflux

• Unexplained or unintentional weight loss

• Blood in the stool

• Constipation

What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?