logo
'I was diagnosed with lung cancer and brain tumours despite never smoking'

'I was diagnosed with lung cancer and brain tumours despite never smoking'

STV Newsa day ago

A Scots mum who was diagnosed with lung cancer despite never smoking once is taking on a cycling challenge after being inspired by Sir Chris Hoy.
Jenny Rogers was diagnosed with EGFR Positive in November 2023 after suffering facial paralysis and drooling out of her mouth following a spin class.
The 48-year-old had never smoked once in her life, and was referred for scans at a hospital in Paisley, but suffered a seizure in a wheelchair outside the front entrance.
After tests, doctors told the mum from Helensburgh that she had a lung tumour and two brain tumours and that it had spread to her brain.
The World Health Organisation's cancer agency said earlier this year that the number of people being diagnosed with lung cancer who have never smoked is increasing.
Lung cancer in people who have never smoked cigarettes or tobacco is now estimated to be the fifth highest cause of cancer deaths worldwide, according to research.
Jenny told STV News: 'I remember thinking my head was ticking and I was fully cognitive but didn't know I was having a seizure. I couldn't move.
'I staggered into the CT scan room and eventually passed out after someone grabbed me. I remember thinking 'What the hell was that?'
'It was a grand mal seizure and it turned out I had a lung tumour and two brain tumours.
'They told me it had spread to my brain and I was like 'surely not me?'. I have never smoked. I exercise and eat really well.
'It felt very doom and gloom.'
An initial diagnosis said Jenny could live for another ten years, and one doctor advised a pause on starting chemotherapy because it may have been EGFR Positive – which generally affects women and those who don't smoke.
She now takes a targeted drug instead of chemotherapy and six weeks after being diagnosed, the tumour had shrunk by more than 50%.
She added: 'The biggest impact on my life, apart from the looming doom of an early and hideous death, was that I wasn't allowed to drive for 15 months.
'I'm back on the road now and I have scans every three months and its just fingers crossed every time.
'It's been a bit of a rollercoaster.'
The mum wants to take on the Tour de 4 cycle challenge, a near 40-mile ride which starts at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome and goes around the north of Glasgow in September.
Following the Olympian's diagnosis with Stage 4 prostate cancer, the ride was established to demonstrate that an advanced diagnosis, while devastating, doesn't define the limits of what's possible.
Jenny is taking on the challenge on a 25-year-old bike. She admits she is no one's idea of a 'keen' cyclist but is raising funds for the cause.
She said: 'I'm not adverse to a challenge. I saw Sir Chris Hoy speaking about his journey and it inspired me, I feel like I know him at this point.
'I'm just going to bite the bullet and do it. If I only do one fundraising event while I have cancer, this is it.
'I decided it was enough time to dust off the old bike, do a few laps, turn up on the day and just do it.'
Jenny says there's a lot of stigma around the disease.
She added: 'The main message behind EGFR is that you only have to have lungs to get lung cancer.
'Generally people think when you have lung cancer its your fault. Even if you do everything right, you can still get it.'
Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Former Powys mayor is 'cancer free' and cycling Tour De 4
Former Powys mayor is 'cancer free' and cycling Tour De 4

Powys County Times

time5 hours ago

  • Powys County Times

Former Powys mayor is 'cancer free' and cycling Tour De 4

Former Llanfyllin mayor Peter Lewis has confirmed he is 'cancer free' after being diagnosed with prostate cancer over a year ago. Having revealed that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in May 2024, former Llanfyllin mayor Cllr Peter Lewis has shared that after major surgery in August 2024 he is now cancer free. Cllr Lewis, who ended his term as Llanfyllin mayor in June 2025, said he underwent a Prostatectomy and Pelvic Lymphadenectomy, describing it as 'a tough journey, both physically and emotionally' but added that he was 'now proud to say I'm cancer free'. He revealed the news alongside announcing that in September 2025 he would be taking part in Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 challenge at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, with the goal of raising awareness and funds for better treatments, early diagnosis, and vital patient support. Describing the campaign, Cllr Lewis said: 'Just over a year ago, my world changed. I was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer — a moment that stops you in your tracks and makes you re-evaluate everything. 'In August, I underwent a Prostatectomy and Pelvic Lymphadenectomy. It was a tough journey, both physically and emotionally, but thanks to incredible surgeons, the NHS, and the support of loved ones, I'm now proud to say: I am cancer free. 'I'm doing the Tour De 4 not just as a personal challenge, but as a way of giving back. Every mile I ride is for the men who aren't as lucky as me, for those still fighting, and for the families who've lost someone far too soon.' The Tour de 4 was established following Sir Chris Hoy's diagnosis of stage four cancer, with Cllr Lewis taking on the challenge's Blue Ride that involves 60km of cycling, starting and finishing at the velodrome in Glasgow. He added: 'Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men — yet it's often overlooked, talked about too little, and diagnosed too late. That needs to change. By raising awareness and supporting life-saving research, we can give more men a fighting chance. 'That's why I've set up this fundraiser — to help Prostate Cancer UK fund critical work into early detection, better treatments, and support for those affected. This ride is my way of turning something that once felt like a nightmare into a mission for hope.'

Rise in suspected drug deaths in Glasgow this year
Rise in suspected drug deaths in Glasgow this year

Glasgow Times

time9 hours ago

  • Glasgow Times

Rise in suspected drug deaths in Glasgow this year

Latest figures from Police Scotland show there were 61 deaths in the Greater Glasgow division between January and March. It is a rise from the 50 deaths recorded for October to December last year. It means a 22% increase in the Glasgow area since the start of the year. READ NEXT:Hundreds of homeless refused accommodation in one month in Glasgow Across Scotland, there was also an increase in suspected deaths from 232 over the last three months of 2024 to 308 in the first three months of this year, a rise of 32%. The numbers of suspected drug deaths fluctuate and the most recent figures for both the Glasgow and Scottish totals are fewer than the same three months in 2024 For January to March 2024, there were 71 for Greater Glasgow and 320 across Scotland. The number of people dying from drug related deaths remains one of the highest in Europe and opposition politicians have said the government approach is not working. Annie Wells, Glasgow Conservative MSP highlighted the She said 'These devastating figures should be a source of shame for deluded SNP ministers, whose strategy to tackle drug deaths is clearly failing. 'They are completely detached from the reality of this national crisis which has spiralled to record levels on their watch.' She used the latest figures to argue the opening of the Safer Drug Consumption Facility in Glasgow is not making a difference. The centre opened in Janaury this year. Wells added: 'Nationalist politicians have been at pains to trumpet the opening of The Thistle in Glasgow as a game-changing solution, yet the number of Scots suspected to have tragically lost their lives to drugs has risen sharply since it opened. 'It is clear that facility is feeding addiction, rather than helping to treat addiction. "The public will be appalled that Neil Gray thinks more consumption rooms should get the green light while this flagship one is failing people so badly.' She instead urged MSPs and the Scottish Government to back the Tories Right to Recovery Bill at Holyrood. There have been 17 medical emergencies at the Thistle since it opened. The health secretary said last week had they not been at the centre they likely would have died. READ NEXT: 'Chancellor should have u-turned on winter fuel long ago' says SNP The Liberal Democrats, however, said more facilities like the Thistle are needed. Alex Cole-Hamilton, Scottish LibDem leader, said: 'One hundred people a month are dying in Scotland's drug deaths crisis. It is nothing short of a national tragedy. 'Drug misuse casts a long shadow across Scotland. 'Scottish Liberal Democrats would give our country the world-class drug services it deserves. 'From rolling out a nationwide network of safer consumption rooms to new drug checking facilities, it's time ministers listened to our calls.'

Suspected drug deaths in Scotland up by a third in three months
Suspected drug deaths in Scotland up by a third in three months

The National

time9 hours ago

  • The National

Suspected drug deaths in Scotland up by a third in three months

There were 308 such deaths over the period January to March, with this total up by 33% on the last three months of 2024. The figures come after the UK's first safer drugs consumption room, the Thistle centre in Glasgow, opened for a three-year pilot in January this year as part of Scottish Government efforts to reduce Scotland's drugs deaths. The report said that 'suspected drug deaths in Scotland remain at a high level' – with such cases up by 76 when compared to the final three months of 2024. READ MORE: Family 'utterly heartbroken' as man dies weeks after three-vehicle crash However, the Scottish Government report stressed that 'numbers of suspected drug deaths fluctuate from quarter to quarter', adding that 'care should be taken not to interpret movements between individual calendar quarters as indicative of any long-term trend'. And the data also showed a decrease in the number of suspected drugs deaths over the course of the year. There were 1053 suspected drugs deaths in the 12 months to March 2025 – meaning there were 166 (14%) fewer such deaths than in the 12 months to March 2024, when the total was 1219. With Scotland having had the highest rate of drugs related deaths in Europe, the Government has a 'national mission' to reduce the numbers losing their lives to drugs. Speaking as Tuesday's figures were published, Health Secretary Neil Gray (below) said: 'Every death is a tragedy and through our £250 million national mission we are determined to continue our efforts to reduce harm and deaths. My condolences go to anyone who has lost a loved one. ' (Image: PA) Gray added: 'While these figures show a quarter-on-quarter rise in suspected drug deaths, they also note a year-on-year fall. 'We want every person experiencing harm to be able to access the support they need. 'We are taking a wide range of evidence-based measures including opening the UK's first safer drug consumption facility pilot, working towards drug-checking facilities and widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation and life-saving naloxone.' However, Scottish Conservative spokesperson for drugs, Annie Wells, hit out and said: 'These devastating figures should be a source of shame for deluded SNP ministers, whose strategy to tackle drug deaths is clearly failing.' The Tory MSP accused the Scottish Government of being 'completely detached from the reality of this national crisis which has spiralled to record levels on their watch'. She said that ministers had 'been at pains to trumpet the opening of The Thistle in Glasgow as a game-changing solution', but added that 'the number of Scots suspected to have tragically lost their lives to drugs has risen sharply since it opened'. Wells said: 'It is clear that facility is feeding addiction, rather than helping to treat addiction.' Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton pointed out that '100 people a month are dying in Scotland's drug deaths crisis', saying this is 'nothing short of a national tragedy'. Adding that 'drug misuse casts a long shadow across Scotland', he said his party 'would give our country the world-class drug services it deserves'. Cole-Hamilton (below) added: 'From rolling out a nationwide network of safer consumption rooms to new drug-checking facilities, it's time ministers listened to our calls.' (Image: Ken Jack) The demand for action came as the Scottish Government's figures showed that the Greater Glasgow, Ayrshire and Lanarkshire police divisions had the highest number of suspected drugs deaths in the first three months of this year, with 61, 36 and 33 such fatalities in those areas respectively. Almost four out five (79%) of those who died were male, the figures showed while 63% of deaths occurred amongst those aged 35 to 54 years old – with this said to be 'broadly in line' with other quarters. However, there were nine suspected drugs deaths involving people aged under 25 in the period January to March, with this up from four such deaths in the final three months of 2024.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store