Dad feared he'd pulled muscle – then docs said they could not save him

13 November 2023 , 14:41

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When Lee Young was hit by back pain out of nowhere, he assumed he had just pulled a muscle while playing golf (Image: Lee Young)

A dad-of-two thought he'd just pulled a muscle while playing golf but was told he had an incurable and inoperable condition.

Lee Young just thought he'd hurt himself playing golf. But when the pain got worse and he found two small lumps near his shoulder blade, he knew something was wrong. He went to see a doctor in September 2021, who told him they were probably fatty lumps and nothing to worry about.

However, an ultrasound scan revealed something more serious. Lee, a car garage owner from Denton, was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon for further tests. By late December, he was in so much pain that he had to have a biopsy, The Manchester Evening News reported.

In early January, the hospital called to discuss his results. Lee thought he was going to be given the all-clear, but the news was far from good. He was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer, and doctors didn't know where it had started.

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Lee has helped raise over £6,000 for The Christie (Lee Young)

Dad feared he'd pulled muscle – then docs said they could not save him

Lee and his daughter Aleisha (Lee Young)

The biopsy revealed an 8.5cm-long tumour near his kidneys, leading to a diagnosis of cancer of unknown primary, known as CUP. CUP is when a secondary cancer is located and diagnosed, which in this case was Lee's tumour. But with CUP, even after tests are carried out, medics aren't able to figure out where the cancer first started.

Baby boy has spent his life in hospital as doctors are 'scared' to discharge him

Because the primary cancer is unknown, CUP can be very difficult to treat as doctors don't know where to start with medical care. As a result of this, people diagnosed with CUP often have a poor prognosis. Despite making up approximately 2 per cent of all new cancer cases, CUP accounts for 6 per cent of all cancer deaths.

Lee said: "It was devastating because I thought it was going to be nothing to worry about. I thought I had pulled a muscle. I was told it was incurable, inoperable and I was going to be sent to The Christie to make me comfortable. I didn't think I had long left to live."

Lee had his first appointment at The Christie in Manchester in February 2022. He was offered chemotherapy or a clinical trial. The dad opted for the trial and has so far managed to shrink his tumour by more than half after three rounds.

"When I initially went to the hospital, the doctors told me there was basically nothing they could do for me, it was such a shock," he added. "When I came to The Christie and they told me about the clinical trial, I said yes without hesitation as even if it didn't work for me, I knew I'd be helping someone in the future."

Despite his diagnosis, Lee considers himself "fit and healthy" and even managed to run the Manchester Half Marathon just months after finding out he had cancer. "I'm quite strong," he added. "My glass is always half full even when I was told I had cancer. I'm one of those."

"Life is for the living now because I don't know [my prognosis]. I wake up with a smile on my face because I've woken up. At night, when I go to bed, I have a smile on my face because I think, 'Right, that's another day I've done'. None of the family are down because I'm not. I'm not feeling sorry for myself, there are people worse off than me."

"There are people in agony from cancer. I'm fortunate I can still do what I want at this time. I tell people when they moan and whinge to go and sit in The Christie for a while. They will never moan again."

Lee has been chosen to feature in The Christie Charity's Impact Report. This report reflects on 2022/2023 and highlights how The Christie Charity has helped cancer patients and their families.

"The doctors and nurses at The Christie are fantastic," he said. "I feel very comfortable there, knowing I'm at the best place in the world for treatment."

"I can't thank everybody enough - that's why my daughter Aleisha and I decided to raise money by running the Manchester half marathon because of the fantastic care they have been giving me."