When Eve Addison developed a strange swelling in her collarbone after drinking gin and tonic, she assumed she must have an allergy.

But when switching brands failed to help - and she developed night sweats and a rash - she saw her GP.

To her horror, tests revealed the 24-year-old was suffering Hodgkin Lymphoma - cancer of the lymphatic system. 

The most common symptom of Hodgkin lymphoma is one or more painless swellings in the neck, armpit or groin.  

These swellings are enlarged lymph nodes - oval-shaped glands that help the body recognise and fight germs.

About 70 per cent of people diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma have a swollen lymph node in their neck. 

Usually, the swollen nodes don't hurt, but in some people like Miss Addison, they can be painful - especially after drinking alcohol.

Following her diagnosis in January 2014, she has now been given the all clear - and is sharing her story to make others aware of the condition.

Miss Addison, a marketing manager from Merseyside, began suffering the symptoms in September 2013.

She said: 'I suppose, looking back, alcohol did save my life.

'I had been feeling unwell for a while and every time I went out, I'd come back with swelling and pain.

'I just thought nothing of it and when I went to the GP, I was told that there was nothing to worry about.

'When the doctor says "don't worry, you're going to be just fine", you believe them, don't you?'

But by December, she had developed other symptoms and was given creams and anti-inflammatory drugs to deal with chest pain, night sweats and an all-over body rash.

After her devastating diagnosis at the Royal Liverpool Hospital, Miss Addison underwent a six-month course of chemotherapy to rid herself of the disease, which affects around 1,900 people each year.

The treatment not only left her drained, but triggered septicemia and a blood clot.

'I lost a lot of muscle and I was so drained all the time,' she recalled. 'I was so tired and in so much pain that I could barely stand up.

'Even though I was only 23, I felt like I had the body of a 90-year-old.'

Despite her diagnosis - and starting chemotherapy almost instantly - she began a new job just days later, as planned. 

She also froze her eggs just in case the treatment rendered her infertile.

To her relief, she was given the all-clear last September.