Abi Phillips, actress who starred in Hollyoaks, diagnosed with thyroid cancer at 28

Former Hollyoaks star Abi Phillips has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 28, she has revealed.

The actress and singer announced the news to her followers on Instagram.

"So, I took these pictures before my scans and after my biopsy having a good old laugh about how ridiculously dressed up I looked in the hospital before a gig, not expecting for one moment to get the news that I did two weeks later," she said.

"I'd previously been sent away from the doctors after having found two lumps in my neck, they'd passed it off and said I was 'young' and it wouldn't be anything and I was 'probably getting over a cold' or my body was 'fighting something off'.

"As much as that's what I wanted to hear I wanted to get everything checked for my own peace of mind.

"I booked in with a specialist and immediately she told me she was very concerned due to where my lumps were located and referred me for an urgent biopsy and scans."

Phillips, who played the role of Liberty Savage in the Channel 4 soap opera from 2010 to 2013, said she was given the diagnosis by a consultant at Birmingham's QE Hospital two weeks later.

She said she was told she would need surgery and radiotherapy.

"I never thought I would be told that I have cancer at the age of 28, you never think it's going to happen to you," she said.

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Phillips added that she would not have gone to see a specialist if she had not seen a social media post from a former contestant on reality TV show Love Island, Demi Jones, who was previously diagnosed with thyroid cancer.

"Her lumps were in the exact same place as mine," she said.

"If ever you find a lump or something unusual on your body, never just think it's nothing, don't be told that you're fine by the GP and you're 'young', always get things checked out by a specialist if you can and insist on tests even if it turns out to be nothing, as catching things early is crucial for a good prognosis.

"This time next week I'll be on the road to recovery after my operation."