A personal trainer who was sent home to spend her final weeks with her family after being diagnosed with an incurable form of lung cancer was handed a lifeline – thanks to a simple biopsy. Becca Smith, 31, from Chester, had been suffering from excruciating pain her back.
As she was fit and healthy, Becca assumed the pain was being caused by an injury. But back in 2020, her life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer.
Becca said her “world collapsed” when doctors tod her it has spread around her body and nothing more could be done. As her condition deteriorated, her family were at her bedside to say their goodbyes but then her mum received the results of a biopsy that “would change everything”.
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Now Becca is preparing to spend another happy Christmas with family and friends thanks to the specialist cancer treatment she continues to receive. “I live an active, healthy lifestyle,” says Becca. “I’ve never smoked. So I assumed I’d injured myself training and thought I perhaps had a slipped disc.”
As part of her diagnosis, Becca went through numerous tests including MRI and CT scans and a special biopsy was taken from her back. She said: “My world collapsed when I was told it was cancer and it had spread around my body, including to my brain. The doctors said nothing could be done.
“I have a group of really good friends, along with my sisters, mum, dad and close family. Everyone spent time around my bedside, saying goodbye. I have vague memories of people singing to me and telling me stories, wearing masks and not getting too close because it was during Covid.
“My sister researched some amazing nutritionist for me and spent hours making me juices. But then my mum received a phone call from the hospital with the results of the biopsy which would change everything.”
The biopsy results showed Becca had tested positive for anaplastic lymphoma kinase or ALK. ALK lung cancer is caused by a gene mutation in the cancer cells. Lung cancers with a mutation tend to be found in non-smokers or light smokers, and often affect people who are younger and fitter than those who might typically be diagnosed with lung cancer.
Joanne Wilson is a Lung Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre and is part of the team now treating Becca. She said: “There are lots of different gene mutations, one of which is ALK. With some gene mutations, we have special medication which can interrupt the growth of the cancer.
“These medications block the process that causes the cancer to grow, with the tablets focusing on only the mutation and not healthy cells. These are called targeted therapies.
“Some people with ALK lung cancer respond very well to targeted therapy, as Becca has. Though not a cure for lung cancer, treatment can often stop people’s cancer from growing, and even shrink it. Targeted therapies are often a much more effective treatment that standard chemotherapy and patients are at less risk of developing an infection or experiencing side effects.”
Three years on from her initial diagnosis, Becca is now managing her cancer with daily medication. She recently received a set-back when scans showed slight progression in the cancer in her brain.
“Having had stable scans for so long, receiving news that that there had been changes was like being diagnosed all over again,” explains Becca. “I changed medication and since then, I’ve been working with the team at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre to manage the side effects of my treatment, as well as talking to their psychologist, who’s been supporting me since my first diagnosis and I’m in constant touch with their team, who have been a great support to me.
“I’ve also been given the chance to speak to other patients in my situation, something I’ve enjoyed and I hope I’ve been able to help them. I now try and think of my cancer as a long term health condition. With the support of my family and friends, I’m able to manage.
“I love meeting my friends for coffee and going walking every morning to clear my head. I do yoga, Pilates, eat well and I’m working again, setting up my own gym. Christmas this year will be full of laughter, friends and family, as well as my Labradoodle, Ralph. I’ve got lots to look forward to.”
She added: “To anyone going through something similar or who has just had a cancer diagnosis, I would say, there is light ahead. I was in a deep, black hole when I was first diagnosed, but thanks to the support of my friends and family, I found a ladder and slowly, I’ve climbed out. There will be hard days, but climb that ladder and hopefully you’ll learn to live with your new normal.”
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Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
