The daughter of Gold Coast Titans owners Brett and Rebecca Frizelle has revealed how subtle changes to her body led to the discovery of a rare form of ovarian cancer.
Ally Frizelle was a healthy 25-year-old lawyer working in mergers and acquisitions when she noticed her clothes no longer fitted during a work trip to Adelaide late last year.
She initially believed she had gained weight, despite exercising regularly and eating well.
‘It was on a work trip to Adelaide that I realised my clothes weren’t fitting me like they normally did,’ she told News Corp.
‘I didn’t think much of it at the time, just assumed I’d put on a bit of weight, although in the back of my mind it seemed odd because I had been exercising and eating well.’
After returning to Sydney, Ally also began experiencing cramps and bloating.
Ally Frizelle (right) was diagnosed with rare ovarian cancer after noticing her clothes suddenly fitted differently
An ultrasound revealed a 16cm ovarian tumour, prompting Ally to undergo urgent further medical testing
Neither symptom appeared especially concerning in isolation, but she trusted her instincts and visited a GP.
Ally requested an ultrasound, which revealed a 16cm tumour on one of her ovaries.
‘The sonographer had such a good poker face, but the doctor kept calling me after it,’ she said.
‘I answered and she said, ‘Are you at home? Do you live with family? Are you sitting down? Do you have support?’
‘While incredibly calm, she told me to drop everything immediately and get blood tests as well as a CT scan of my brain, chest and abdomen.
‘She explained that the ultrasound had found a 16cm tumour on one of my ovaries and, while more tests were needed, it had nasty characteristics which were consistent with cancer.
‘That’s when I started to break down. I was in complete shock.’
Ally flew home to the Gold Coast the following morning, leaving behind siblings Georgia and James, with whom she lived in Sydney.
Gold Coast Titans owners Brett and Rebecca Frizelle supported their daughter throughout her treatment journey
Her mother Rebecca, a prominent businesswoman who sits on several boards, including Brisbane 2032, was stunned by the news.
‘It was an absolute shock – the kind that stops you in your tracks,’ Rebecca said.
‘Ally told me the call she had just received from her GP and sent me the results of her ultrasound. The report was stamped ‘URGENT’ in size 50 font.’
Ally underwent surgery performed by gynaecological oncologist Dr Marcelo Nascimento, with testing confirming she had a germ cell yolk sac tumour, a rare form of ovarian cancer.
The cancer was classified as stage 1A and had not spread.
‘The oncologist called and said, ‘It’s stage 1A’, which is the best you can hope for and it hasn’t spread,’ Ally said.
‘Mum and dad broke down in tears. They had been fretting in the background worrying that my body could have been riddled with it.’
Before beginning chemotherapy, Ally underwent fertility preservation because the treatment risked affecting her ability to have children.
She completed an egg retrieval process over 10 days before starting the first of four rounds of chemotherapy.
The treatment included six-hour hospital sessions across five consecutive days, followed by smaller doses on days eight and 13.
Ally lost her hair after the second round and increasingly struggled with fatigue, but Rebecca said her daughter maintained a remarkably positive outlook.
‘She said, ‘Are you kidding, Mum? I’ve got my family, friends and the best health care team around me. We caught it so early. If this is the worst thing in my life, then I’m very lucky’,’ Rebecca recalled.
Ally finished treatment in late February and later travelled to the United States with her family, attending the start of the NRL season in Las Vegas.
She returned to work in Sydney, celebrated her 26th birthday in April and received cancer-free test results last week.
Ally has now shared her experience during the NRL’s Women in League Round, hoping other young women will investigate unusual changes to their bodies.
‘What makes me exceptionally sad is the statistics of ovarian cancer,’ she said.
‘There’s no early detection test and the five-year survival rate is 49 per cent.
‘But if you can detect it in stage one, the five-year survival rate exceeds 90 per cent.’
Rebecca said her daughter’s determination to seek an ultrasound may have saved her life.
‘When the doctor suggested the symptoms could be an indication of coeliac disease, Ally insisted on an ultrasound, and her GP was happy to provide the referral,’ she said.
‘If she hadn’t followed through with that scan, we could be looking at a very different story today, one that may not have had a happy ending.’
Brett and Rebecca assumed full ownership of the Titans in July 2025 after seven years of sharing control of the NRL club with Darryl and Joanne Kelly.
The family will be at Cbus Super Stadium on Sunday when the Titans host Manly, although Rebecca said the pressures of rugby league now paled beside what they had endured over the past eight months.
