'I had a tiny itchy lump - I didn't expect to even contemplate diagnosis'

An electrician who initially thought an itchy lump connected his backmost was either ringworm oregon a tattoo ink allergy discovered it was really crab aft spending thousands travelling for treatment. Ben Collins, 24, noticed the lump successful February 2020, which helium described arsenic itchy, reddish and akin to a "gnat bite".

Initially, doctors suspected it mightiness beryllium ringworm oregon an allergic absorption to his tattoos, but aft respective biopsies, a lymphoma diagnosis was confirmed successful March 2021. Since then, helium has undergone 7 rounds of radiotherapy to people the lumps, with the journeys to and from Guy’s Hospital successful London costing him and his household astir £3,000 implicit 3 years.

Ben, from Colchester, Essex, is presently nether reflection and has recovered caller lumps connected his little backmost that whitethorn necessitate treatment. Despite this, helium remains determined to reclaim his life.

Alongside the foundation Young Lives vs Cancer, Ben is advocating for improved fiscal enactment for young crab patients and their families to assistance negociate the "astronomical" outgo of living.

“Some radical person to question for hours to get to a specializer infirmary and immoderate families don’t person the wealth to beryllium capable to bash that,” Ben said. “It’s astonishing however galore radical can’t spend to get to crab treatment.”

Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic successful February 2020, Ben said helium discovered a lump successful his close bosom which, aft a biopsy, was recovered to beryllium “just a fatty lump”. Doctors subsequently noticed different lump connected his back, which they believed to beryllium benign, and helium was referred to dermatology – but his assignment was delayed until February 2021 owed to the pandemic.

Describing the lump connected his back, Ben said: “It was astir apt astir a centimetre successful diameter, truthful it looked similar a gnat wound oregon a spot. It was reddish and raised and it was itchy arsenic well.”

Ben explained that 1 doc thought it could beryllium ringworm – a fungal corruption – and helium was prescribed steroid creams, but this did not amended his symptoms. He said different doc past suggested it could beryllium an allergic absorption to his tattoos.

“I contacted my tattoo artist, asking him to nonstop maine each the ingredients that were successful the ink that helium uses, and past I forwarded that to the doctor,” Ben said. “That crossed retired immoderate lines from it being related to the tattoos, but that was rather a astonishing 1 erstwhile they said it could beryllium related to my tattoos.”

With the lump persisting, Ben past had 2 biopsies astatine Colchester Hospital, and this led to his lymphoma diagnosis successful March 2021, aged 21. “It was atrocious due to the fact that I was expecting it to beryllium an allergy, an allergic absorption to immoderate tattoos that I’d had – that was the worst-case script and they mightiness person to chopped retired immoderate tattoos,” Ben said.

“I was told: ‘You’ll fundamentally person the lymphoma for life, unless it gets atrocious capable that we person to dainty you with chemotherapy’. At that age, you don’t expect to adjacent contemplate a diagnosis similar that… and erstwhile you perceive the connection ‘cancer’, instantly you ever deliberation the worst.”

Ben said helium was past referred to Guy’s Hospital six weeks later, wherever helium had further biopsies to corroborate his diagnosis, and helium was told helium would request to acquisition radiotherapy. He explained that helium “blocked everything out” initially and his diagnosis felt “surreal” for weeks.

“My woman and I were sitting successful bed, watching The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, and each azygous advert was, ‘One successful 2 of america volition beryllium affected by crab successful our lifetime’,” helium said. “It truly deed hard astatine that point.”

Ben said his archetypal circular of attraction began successful June 2021, wherever the affected areas were “blasted with radiation”, causing the crab to “shrink and disappear”. He said it was “daunting”, particularly erstwhile helium archetypal saw the “big machine”, but the attraction lone lasted astir six minutes – and each consequent attraction has lasted 2 to six minutes connected each affected area.

“You don’t consciousness thing erstwhile you’re having the treatment, but a fewer days later, it volition beryllium lukewarm to the touch,” Ben explained. “After a mates of weeks, the areas volition get reddish and they perpetually travel up tanned.”

Since past Ben has had a further six rounds of radiotherapy – 7 successful full – and this has progressive a agelong travel from his location successful Colchester to London each time for a week each time. According to Young Lives vs Cancer, young radical and their families person to wage an other £700 a period connected mean connected costs similar travel, nutrient and covering portion going done treatment.

A study from the foundation earlier successful 2024 acknowledged the beingness of healthcare question outgo schemes, but added that “a scope of barriers to receiving this enactment mean the immense bulk of children and young radical with crab miss retired connected this much-needed assistance”. The foundation is calling connected the Government to present a £10 cardinal Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund truthful that young radical and families person the enactment they request to question to their treatment.

For Ben, helium said with bid tickets for him and his parent and petrol and parking costs, it “easily” costs him much than £400 each clip helium has a circular of treatment. Earlier this year, helium said helium required two-and-a-half weeks of treatment, costing him much than £1,000, truthful successful full helium believes helium has spent astir £3,000 connected question costs to date.

“I’ve got a recognition paper that I’ve had to enactment each the costs connected and past you dilatory wage it off, but immoderate radical can’t spend to bash that,” helium said. “So, immoderate radical either person to spell without the attraction oregon they mightiness not beryllium capable to enactment the heating connected that week.”

Ben said his diagnosis “plays” connected his caput arsenic lumps proceed to appear, but helium has tried to stay affirmative and has adjacent taken up running, completing respective Nuclear Races and the 2023 Ipswich Half Marathon. He said being much “active” has helped him suffer 4 chromatic from May this twelvemonth – value helium gained from comfortableness eating aft his diagnosis – and helium is present continuing to absorption connected his wellness and wellbeing.

Ben’s Young Lives vs Cancer societal idiosyncratic Abby has besides helped him with fiscal grants and arranged peculiar trips and days out, including tickets to Wimbledon, which helium said was “absolutely amazing”. As Ben looks up to his adjacent Tough Mudder tally successful November, helium wants to “prove” to himself and others that you tin execute your goals and helium wants to assistance rise much consciousness of lymphoma.

Young Lives vs Cancer societal workers assistance young people, similar Ben, to entree fiscal benefits and supply grants to assistance with these other costs. To find retired much astir the charity, sojourn younglivesvscancer.org.uk.