Vigilant Fans Spot Lump on ‘Love Island’ Star Samie Elishi’s Neck: Could It Be Thyroid Cancer?

“After the villa, my family and friends said they’d been getting messages from girls saying I have a lump on my neck and these girls had been sending pictures saying I could have thyroid cancer,” Elishi told BBC Newsbeat. “I thought people are crazy and dismissed it.”

Initially, Elishi ignored fans’ concerns, but eventually, she checked for the lump herself and decided to go to the doctor.

“I had no idea,” she said. “I could’ve had this on my neck for another 10 years. I feel like my purpose for going on the show was to discover this.”

At her appointment, she had blood tests taken that all came back “fine.” But doctors were still concerned about the lump, so she underwent a biopsy and multiple scans.

“And then they confirmed it was a 5cm lump on my thyroid,” she said. “It’s scary. It got so overwhelming at one point, you don’t know what anyone’s going through unless you know them so I thought I have to speak out about it.”

Biopsy results were inconclusive, so Elishi is now awaiting surgery to have half of her thyroid removed to determine if it is, indeed, cancerous. If it does come back as thyroid cancer, she will need further surgery to remove the other half of her thyroid.

Thankfully, Elishi has been able to find support from another former “Love Island” contestant named Demi Jones, 24. Jones was diagnosed with thyroid cancer in 2019 after finding a lump the size of a golf ball on her neck. She’s since gone on to beat the disease after two surgeries and radiation.

“It’s super comforting because Demi is a similar age to me,” Elishi said. “It calms me down to see Demi carrying on and doing well. And I just hope the awareness continues to be spread.

“It could’ve been much worse but luckily I’ve got it at such an early age. Fingers crossed it isn’t cancer and the surgery will be fine. But it’s still scary who’s 23 and has to go through this? You expect everything else apart from this.”

Learning About Thyroid Cancer

Thyroid cancer begins in the thyroid gland a small, butterfly-shaped gland at the front of your neck that makes hormones that help regulate your metabolism, heart rate, blood pressure and body temperature.

Treatment for thyroid cancer patients depends on the type and stage of the disease. According to the American Cancer Society, treatment options may include:

• Surgery
• Radioactive iodine (radioiodine) therapy
• Hormone therapy
• External beam radiation therapy
• Chemotherapy
• Targeted drug therapy

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Many people with thyroid cancer might not notice any symptoms prior to diagnosis, so detecting the disease can be difficult.

"Most people have no discrete symptoms the majority of cases now are found incidentally," Dr. Allen Ho, a head and neck surgeon at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, told SurvivorNet.

"However, a sizable number of people may first discover their cancer when they feel a bump on their neck.

“Other possible late symptoms include problems swallowing, the sensation of something in their throat, neck compression when laying flat or voice changes.”

According to the American Cancer Society, signs and symptoms of the disease can include:

• A lump in the neck that may or may not be growing quickly
• Swelling in the neck
• Pain in the front of the neck, sometimes stretching up to the ears
• Hoarseness or other persistent changes to the voice
• Issues swallowing
• Issues breathing
• A constant, unexplained cough

Having any of the above symptoms does not necessarily mean you have thyroid cancer, but it’s always important to report any concerning changes to your health.

You never know when speaking up about a seemingly benign issue could lead to a crucial diagnosis.

Demi Jones’ Thyroid Cancer Journey

Demi Jones was diagnosed with thyroid cancer after first finding a lump the size of a golf ball on her neck in 2019.

"I literally had no other symptoms, which was crazy, just this weird-shaped lump that was in my neck for a couple of years," she reportedly explained on her Instagram story.

"I did feel like it was starting to get bigger so that's when I finally told them [doctors] 'you need to get me to a specialist,' and that's when I started to worry."

Jones underwent two surgeries and radiation for treatment. She kept fans in the loop throughout her cancer battle and shared an honest look into the after-effects of treatment.

"When I first had the surgery, I was sleeping all day every day, and my mum was really concerned," she reportedly told OK Magazine.

"But they increased my dosage of levothyroxine [thyroid hormone replacement] which has given me a bit more energy. So, I am keeping up with that."

Thankfully, her treatment path proved successful and she was cancer free in December 2021.

Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.