Keen runner, 26, thought he was getting a cold...it was the first sign of late stage cancer that left him with a 30% chance of survival

A keen runner has revealed the little-known telltale sign of advanced cancer that hit him at 26 - despite being at his fitness peak.Luke Cowan first noticed an unusual symptom in June 2020; a dull ache inside his right thigh. However, he thought little of it given that he was 'in really good shape', thanks to his regular runs and high intensity interval workouts. Perhaps he was coming down with a cold, he reasoned.But when the pain got progressively worse the following month, and came coupled with severe swelling, the tech worker decided to visit his local A&E.Doctors prescribed pain medication which had 'little to no effect'.'I'd have to go home mid-shift at work because I was in so much pain I couldn't walk around,' he said. In August he developed a high temperature and was sent for more hospital tests, where doctors took a sample of tissue from his thigh to check for signs of something sinister. 'For some reason, I was just completely naive to it all,' he said. 'I thought it would be easily fixable,' Luke said. Luke Cowan initially put his symptoms down to a cold, as well as his hefty exercise routine But by the end of September Luke, from Cardiff, passed out in his bathroom. 'I remember waking up and wondering why I was on the bathroom floor,' he said.He was subsequently admitted to hospital and, soon afterwards, given the devastating blow of a diagnosis of stage four anaplastic T-cell lymphoma - a type of blood cancer that starts in the white blood cells.Anaplastic T-cell lymphoma is a rare type of the disease, affecting around 170 people in England every year.For those diagnosed at late stages, the cancer has often spread to several parts of the body including the bone marrow, liver, lungs, skin.Between 45 and 80 per cent of patients live for at least five years after his diagnosis, depending on the specific type of disease. Luke's health took a turn for the worse and he was transferred to intensive care, where doctors told his mother he had just a 30 per cent chance of surviving. Thankfully, he made it through, and was eventually strong enough to begin chemotherapy at the end of October 2020. Now 32, he's managed to overcome his cancer and return to his fitness peak within a few yearsHe received eight rounds which caused side-effects of fatigue, nausea, and vomiting.'Chemo was very hard,' he said. 'There was one point during chemo where my PICC line [long, thin, flexible tube put into a vein to deliver medications] got infected… and I got shingles.'A PET scan in May 2021 revealed Luke was in 'complete remission' from his cancer. 'I remember walking through town and I got a phone call from my consultant,' he said.'She said she just wanted to tell me that my 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 a massive relief.'I don’t think there’s another moment that tops that for me, emotionally. Especially after such a long journey.'By September, Luke was back in the gym trying to 'build everything back'. And from the beginning of 2023, he returned to his regular runs, signing up for charity events including the Cancer Research UK Race for Life. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a rare and aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Common signs of the disease include swollen lumps under the skin in the neck, armpit, or groinHe has since completed two Cardiff half marathons, the Birmingham Half, and he will take on the upcoming Shoreditch Half in September.Despite near-constant shin splints and a stress fracture, he is adamant that he won't give up. He prioritises recovery with techniques like foam rollers, massage guns, saunas and ice baths.'I’ve been trying so hard to make sure my body is in the best place possible,' he said, adding that he's the 'fittest I’ve ever been'.Luke said he would like to work up to doing full marathons, or ultramarathons, but for now, is trying to beat his personal best half marathon time of one hour and 48 minutes.Recalling his cancer treatment he said: 'Whatever struggles you’re going through in life, there can be light at the end of the tunnel. I want people to know that.''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.'