My GP dismissed ‘common cancer symptom' because I was fit and healthy – then I was given a heartbreaking diagnosis
He says his GP wasn't overly concerned either - he had no breathlessness and wasn't losing weight - and he was just prescribed antihistamines.
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But as the cough persisted, the now 47-year-old knew it was time to push for answers, eventually discovering he had stage 3 lung cancer.
Warren, from Suffolk, first developed the cough in 2021 when he was 44.
Describing himself as fit and healthy, he didn't think much of it at the time, especially because it was during the Covid pandemic.
"I had to test regularly in my job as cabin crew, and they always came back negative," says Warren.
"I wasn't coughing up blood or anything and had no other symptoms of illness."
Regardless, Warren decided in June 2021 he would go see his GP - who prescribed him antihistamines and acid reflux medication.
"I first went to see my GP approximately six months after my symptoms started," he says.
"My GP wasn't overly concerned to begin with as I was a marathon runner, not experiencing breathlessness or losing weight.
"Initially, I was prescribed antihistamines, which didn't make any difference, and then omeprazole when I went back, as it was then thought the problem might be acid reflux."
Eventually, in October, Warren went for an X-ray which came back as abnormal.
I'm a doctor and these 5 changes could be a sign of deadly lung cancer
In November, he had a CT scan, and a malignancy was suspected.
"Within a week, I had an appointment with a consultant who said a diagnosis could not be confirmed without a biopsy," he recalls.
"I had a PET scan in December, then a CT-guided biopsy and a respiratory test, and just before Christmas, a follow-up with the consultant, who said results were still inconclusive, but whatever it was would have to be removed."
It wasn't the greatest Christmas for Warren, knowing he was facing lung surgery the following month.
But at the same time, he was glad to be getting out whatever was there.
"I was told I wouldn't lose much of my lung function and there was no sign of any spread, which was the outcome I was hoping for," he says.
"However, I was worried. Worried about surgery, my recovery, my future. Was my life now going to change? Would I be still be able to do the things I love like running.
"And I thought about whether I would grow old and live a long life. All the things we take for granted. All these thoughts were going through my mind."
When Warren met with his surgeon, he was told he would be having robotic surgery.
Robotic surgery, specifically robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), is a minimally invasive technique used for lung cancer treatment, offering benefits like reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery compared to traditional open surgery.
RATS involves surgeons using a robotic system to control instruments and a 3D camera through small incisions in the chest, allowing for precise manipulation and removal of cancerous tissue.
On January 27, an upper left lobectomy was performed which took eight hours.
Warren says it was a challenging operation because they needed to go in so close to the pulmonary artery.
'Of course I knew it would be cancer'
It wasn't until February 2022 that he finally received his diagnosis: stage 3A lung cancer.
Stage 3A indicates a more advanced stage of the disease where the cancer has spread to lymph nodes on the same side of the chest as the primary tumour, but not to distant parts of the body.
"Some of my lymph nodes had been taken out during the surgery, and cancer was found in two of them," says Warren.
"Of course I knew it would be cancer.
"I have a great relationship with my care team and although nothing could be confirmed without a conclusive biopsy it was highly suspected, so I was prepared for that.
"However, I was shocked that it was stage 3A due to the fact there were some cells located in lymph nodes which I wasn't prepared for as this was not on the PET scan.
"I felt in that moment that my prognosis was a lot worse and this was going to kill me.
"It's difficult not to read statistics and compare yourself to others with a similar stage, but as my oncologist told me, everyone's situation and cancer journey is different, as is their treatment plan.
"It was a difficult time, also because I had been grounded as cabin crew since my diagnosis, which was a challenge in itself.
"I had no work to distract me from focusing on the cancer, and wondered if I would ever fly again."
During his procedure, the surgeon wasn't able to remove as much of a margin around the tumour as he would have liked because of the position of it near the mediastinum.
So in January 2022, he was referred to an oncologist, who prescribed four cycles of chemotherapy, three weeks apart.
"While the first cycle passed without incident, I developed horrendous side effects from the second cycle onwards," he says.
"My hair thinned out completely and I had fatigue and nausea, although they were well-controlled with medication, and my team did all they could to help me; the quality of my care was excellent.
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"However, my scans showed the chemo, which finished in May, had been working, and in August I had four weeks of radiotherapy, 20 sessions in all, which was much easier to deal with."
Warren's final treatment, a month of radiotherapy, ended in August 2022.
Since then, all his scans have been clear.
"My treatment took approximately eight months in total – from surgery straight onto chemo and then later radiotherapy," he says.
"I was motivated to do all I could to beat this and my surgeon, oncologists and rest of the team were very supportive.
"I felt very involved in the options and decisions that were available to me, as well as the risks involved.
"As treatment finished, it was up to me to pick up on my life and fend for myself, which was quite difficult; I didn't have any counselling at the time and never really processed what had happened.
"However, in January 2023, following four-monthly scans which were all clear, I was signed off as fit to fly again, so have been back working long-haul flights and running 15-20 miles a week.
"I am living my best life again. I also started counselling to help me cope with the anxiety over whether my cancer will come back as I have been feeling agitated at every little sign of illness.
"I've now completed the counselling and like anything, you only get out of it what you put in.
"It was difficult at first to change my way of thinking, but after several sessions it allowed me to change my mindset and focus on living in the here and now, the present."
'Covid saved my life'
Warren says cancer has changed his outlook on life, and he wants to do all he can to raise awareness and fundraise for charities like Cancer Research UK.
"The first thing I did was set up a monthly donation and also a gift in my will," he adds.
"I've spent my time focusing on my fitness and running and I'm planning on doing a marathon in the future.
"My message to others is that you only need lungs to have lung cancer, even if you've never smoked or think you're too young."
Incidence rates for lung cancer in the UK are highest in people aged 80 to 84.
But Warren stresses anyone can get cancer, and would encourage people to speak to their GP if they feel something's not quite right.
He adds: "I feel Covid saved my life, because had it not arisen, I might never have been concerned to find out the cause of my cough.
"What I've learned about cancer is that you should never think it can't happen to you."
Warren is supporting Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in partnership with Standard Life. Visit raceforlife.org to find out more.
WHAT IS LUNG CANCER?
LUNG cancer is the most deadly common cancer in the UK.
It is considered a common cancer alongside prostate, breast and bowel, which together make up more than half of all new cases.
Around 49,000 people are diagnosed with lung cancer every year and 35,000 die from it.
Just one in 10 patients survive for a decade or more after being diagnosed and lung tumours make up 21 per cent of cancer deaths in the UK but only 13 per cent of cases.
The main reason that it is so deadly is that symptoms are not obvious in the early stages.
When signs do appear they may include:
A cough that lasts three weeks or more, and may hurt
Repeated chest infections
Coughing up blood
Breathlessness
Unusual tiredness
The NHS does not routinely screen for lung cancer but is rolling out more tests to smokers and ex-smokers at high risk, in a bid to catch it earlier. Testing may involve X-rays and chest CT scans.
Smoking is the number one risk factor for lung cancer and accounts for about 70 per cent of cases.
Risk may also be higher for people who have inhaled other fumes or toxic substances at work, such as asbestos, coal smoke or silica.
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