I didn’t think much of a cough and hoarse voice for years but now I have incurable lung cancer at 29 – I’ve never smoked

A WOMAN who had a recurring cough and a hoarse voice was shocked to discover she had lung cancer, despite never having smoked. Jade Fardon, 33, did eventually shake off the cough – which first appeared in 2020 – but when it kept coming back over the years, she thought something else might be wrong. Jade Faron was diagnosed with lung cancer after having a recurring cough for years, along with other symptoms Credit: SWNS Doctors initially thought the cough was from Covid, but they later discovered she had tumours in both lungs Credit: SWNS The business change manager went to her GP several times to have her chest checked, but was repeatedly told the cough was caused by Covid. When Jade started developing other symptoms, however, including nausea, swollen lymph nodes, night sweats and fatigue, she compiled a list of everything and went to her GP again in April 2022. Sign up for the Health newsletter Thank you! This time, she was referred for a CT scan, which devastatingly showed extensive cancer across both her lungs. Jade, who was 29 when she received her diagnosis, had never smoked in her life and lived a healthy, active lifestyle. Reflecting on her illness, she said: “You never hear about young people who have never smoked getting lung cancer.” Jade’s official diagnosis was ALK-positive stage four lung cancer – meaning it is characterised by a mutation in the ALK gene. Sadly, two years after this diagnosis, Jade also learned that the cancer had spread to her brain after 17 lesions were discovered. ALK-positive lung cancer is a rare type of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Most read in Health About nine out of 10 new UK cases of lung cancer are NSCLC each year – out of about 49,000 – ALK Positive UK says. But of this, it is estimated that only about 2 per cent will have the ALK mutation. Jade was diagnosed with ALK-positive stage four lung cancer Credit: SWNS Two years after her diagnosis, doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to her brain after spotting 17 lesions on a scan Credit: SWNS The NHS says that there are usually no symptoms of lung cancer in the early stages of the disease. When symptoms do develop, these include a cough that doesn’t go away after three weeks, chest infections that keep coming back, persistent breathlessness and an ache or pain when breathing or coughing. After first suffering from a cough in 2020, Jade developed a hoarse voice over the course of 2021 and continued to visit her GP. Once again, however, she was reassured that everything was fine. It wasn’t until her other symptoms – including swollen lymph nodes – appeared that she went to the doctors again in 2022 and was referred for a CT scan at Watford General Hospital. Doctors later confirmed to Jade that her initial cough was a symptom of the lung cancer in its earlier stages. Speaking about her ordeal, Jade, from Watford, Hertfordshire, said: “When I went to the doctor with my symptoms two years later, I did suspect it might be cancer, but not lung cancer. “When I got the results of my CT scan, it was already stage four and it was very scary, I was shocked and in a bit of denial. “As treatment started, for a long time, I didn’t want to hear the word ‘cancer’ at all.” Doctors told her that the original tumour in her lung was 6cm, but that there were tumours in both her lungs. Jade didn’t need chemotherapy, but was given a daily oral cancer drug to target the specific mutation which shrunk her tumours and prevent them from growing. Pictured with her husband Russell, Jade didn’t have to undergo chemotherapy and instead was given an oral daily cancer drug to shrink the tumours on her lungs Credit: SWNS Jade needed an intense form of radiation therapy to attack the lesions on her brain Credit: SWNS This allowed her to go back to work and live a relatively normal life. But then, a check-up scan in December 2023 revealed she had 17 metastases in her brain – meaning the cancer cells had spread. Speaking about this sad development, she said: “I had been at home getting ready to go out for the evening volunteering as a Brownie leader when I got the call. When I went on the first drug, it shrank the tumours. So when I found out they found metastases in my brain, I had to go through all those scary feelings again. “But this condition has been incurable since the very start when I was diagnosed, so this is my new life. “Sometimes I pause and feel sad, but anyone could think that. Now I want to challenge assumptions of living with stage four cancer.” Jade underwent gamma knife therapy – a targeted radiation therapy – in January 2024, with the aim of ‘zapping’ the lesions away. This initially appeared to be successful, but sadly by December 2024 she felt unwell with headaches, nausea and sickness and doctors discovered one of the 17 lesions had progressed and caused a brain bleed. She underwent brain surgery just before Christmas to have the lesion removed at National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square and thankfully, it was successful. By early April 2025, however, Jade started feeling unwell again and suffered from headaches and nausea. The lesions in Jade’s brain sadly continued to progress after treatment so she had to have brain surgery Credit: SWNS What to know about lung cancer Lung cancer is one of the most common and serious types of cancer. More than 43,000 people are diagnosed with the condition every year in the UK. There are usually no signs or symptoms in the early stages of lung cancer. Symptoms develop as the condition progresses. These include: a cough that does not go away after 3 weeks a long-standing cough that gets worse chest infections that keep coming back coughing up blood an ache or pain when breathing or coughing persistent breathlessness persistent tiredness or lack of energy loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss Less common symptoms of the disease include: changes in the appearance of your fingers, such as becoming more curved or their ends becoming larger (this is known as finger clubbing) difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing wheezing a hoarse voice swelling of your face or neck persistent chest or shoulder pain It is important to see a GP if you have any of the symptoms from either list. Source: NHS She put these symptoms down to migraines but had to take time off work. Then, on her way to volunteer at Brownies one day, she had a seizure, phoned 999 and was rushed to A&E. Jade was extremely unwell for two weeks and scans revealed another lesion on her brain had sadly progressed. She was taken off her original oral cancer medication and given a new one to take, which has since helped slow progression. After one further gamma knife treatment earlier this year, Jade is now being monitored with MRI and CT scans every four months, and has opted to move her care to the private sector. She is able to work four days a week alongside two-monthly oncologist check-ups and scans. She is now raising awareness and money for ALK Positive UK, a charity for ALK-positive lung cancer patients. Jade said: “I’m passionate about challenging assumptions of living with stage four incurable cancer. “I didn’t used to like telling people I have stage four cancer, now I like to show people what I’m doing. “If you have the determination, passion and the right perspective and have the right people around you, you can do anything.” Comment now