‘I thought I had a cold - it turned out to be stage 4 cancer’

A man thought he was just experiencing the symptoms of a cold before being diagnosed with stage 4 cancer - but he's since made a remarkable recovery. Luke Cowan, now 32, was given a 30% chance of survival when he got the devastating diagnosis aged 26.

Luke, who works in tech and lives in Cardiff, said the first symptom was a “dull ache” in the lymph node of his upper inner right thigh which started in about June 2020. He assumed it was merely a sign of a cold, but he said within weeks his legs swelled and got “progressively worse”, to the point where he was “limping around”. He says he went to A&E in July and was prescribed pain medication. By mid-August, Luke’s temperature spiked and he was admitted to hospital, where the lymph node on his thigh was removed for a biopsy.

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It was revealed he had cancer, news he said “hit really hard”, but doctors were not sure what specific type. Luke’s condition was stabilised and he was discharged while there were more investigations, but he collapsed at home at the end of September and was taken to an intensive care unit with life-threatening organ failure.

Luke, who had no recollection of his time in hospital until October 6, said doctors were able to confirm his stage 4 anaplastic T-cell lymphoma diagnosis and he was “taken aback” to hear he had a 30% chance of survival.

By the point of Luke’s near-death experience, he said his weight had dropped from 15 stone to nine and he “didn’t even recognise” himself.

But after eight rounds of chemotherapy, and was told in May 2021 that he was in remission. Luke told PA Real Life: “I remember I was walking through town and I got a phone call from my consultant. She said she just wanted to tell me that my Pet scan results came back and I was in remission.

“There were so many emotions flowing through me and I didn’t know what to say… It was just a massive relief. I don’t think there’s another moment that tops that for me, emotionally. Especially after such a long journey.”

Before Luke’s cancer diagnosis, he said his health and fitness were “in a really good place”, and he would take part in regular high-intensity interval training workouts and would often go running.

By September, Luke said he was back in the gym trying to “build everything back” and he decided to “get into” running from 2023 onwards, so he signed up for a Cancer Research UK Race for Life event.

He has since conquered two Cardiff half marathons, the Birmingham Half, and is set to take on the upcoming Shoreditch Half in September.

Despite suffering near-constant shin splints as he began running and a stress fracture in 2024, Luke said he “locked in” on it from December 2024 and now “fully understands” how to correctly fuel his body before races.

He also prioritises recovery using techniques like foam rollers, massage guns, saunas and ice baths.

Luke says he's been "trying so hard to make sure my body is in the best place possible" and is now "probably the fittest I’ve ever been".

Luke said he would like to tackling full marathons, or even ironman challenges and ultramarathons, but for the time being his goal is to beat his personal best half marathon time of one hour and 48 minutes.

Remembering what it was like to be told he had a 30% chance of survival, Luke said: “Whatever struggles you’re going through in life, (I want people to know) there can be light at the end of the tunnel.”

He added: “There were so many times during chemo where I didn’t feel it was ever going to end and I wondered if I’d ever actually go into remission. But I can tell you there are good things on the other side.”