A tiny itchy ‘gnat bite’ I mistook for a tattoo allergy turned out to be the first warning sign of silent killer

A MAN received a devastating diagnosis after being told his an itchy lump on his back could be ringworm or a tattoo allergy.

In February 2020, Ben Collins, 24, who lives in Colchester, Essex, said doctors found a lump on his back, which was itchy and red and looked like a “gnat bite”.

Doctors initially thought it might be ringworm or an allergic reaction to his tattoos.

But after several biopsies, Ben was finally diagnosed with lymphoma – cancer of the lymphatic system – in March 2021.

He has since undergone seven rounds of radiotherapy to “blast” the lumps and is currently on an observation period.

Ben recently spotted new lumps on his lower back, which may need to be treated, but he is determined to stay positive and “get [his] life back”.

The electrician discovered a lump in his chest in February 2020, but a biopsy found it was “just a fatty lump”.

Doctors subsequently noticed another lump on his back, which they believed to be benign, and he was referred to dermatology – but his appointment was delayed until February 2021 due to the pandemic.

Describing the lump on his back, Ben said: “It was probably about a centimetre in diameter, so it looked like a gnat bite or a spot.

“It was red and raised and it was itchy as well.”

Ben explained that one doctor thought it could be ringworm – a fungal infection – and he was prescribed steroid creams, but this did not improve his symptoms.

He said another doctor then suggested it could be an allergic reaction to his tattoos.

“I contacted my tattoo artist, asking him to send me all the ingredients that were in the ink that he uses, and then I forwarded that to the doctor,” Ben said.

“That crossed out any lines from it being related to the tattoos, but that was quite a surprising one when they said it could be related to my tattoos.”

Ben then had two biopsies at Colchester Hospital after the lump faile to go away and he was diagnosed with lymphoma in March 2021, aged just 21.

“It was awful because I was expecting it to be an allergy, an allergic reaction to some tattoos that I’d had – that was the worst case scenario and they might have to cut out some tattoos,” Ben said.

“I was told: ‘You’ll essentially have the lymphoma for life, unless it gets bad enough that we have to treat you with chemotherapy’.

“At that age, you don’t expect to even contemplate a diagnosis like that… and when you hear the word ‘cancer’, instantly you always think the worst.”

Ben was then referred to Guy’s Hospital six weeks later, where he had further biopsies to confirm his diagnosis, and he was told he would need to undergo radiotherapy.

He explained that he “blocked everything out” initially and his diagnosis felt “surreal” for weeks.

“My girlfriend and I were sitting in bed, watching The Great Celebrity Bake Off for Stand Up To Cancer, and every single advert was, ‘One in two of us will be affected by cancer in our lifetime’,” he said.

“It really hit hard at that point.”

Ben’s first round of treatment began in June 2021, where the affected areas were “blasted with radiation” to make the cancer to “shrink and disappear”.

He said it was “daunting”, especially when he first saw the “big machine”, but the treatment only lasted around six minutes – and every subsequent treatment has lasted two to six minutes on each affected area.

“You don’t feel anything when you’re having the treatment, but a few days later, it will be warm to the touch,” Ben explained.

“After a couple of weeks, the areas will get red and they constantly come up tanned.”

‘Astronomical’ costs

Since then Ben has had a further six rounds of radiotherapy – seven in total – and this has involved a long journey from his home in Colchester to London every day for a week each time.

Altogether, the journeys to and from Guy’s Hospital in London have cost him and his family around £3,000 over three years.

Along with the charity Young Lives vs Cancer, Ben is calling for better financial support towards travel costs for young people with cancer and their families to help with the “astronomical” cost of living.

“Some people have to travel for hours to get to a specialist hospital and some families don’t have the money to be able to do that,” Ben told PA Real Life.

“It’s surprising how many people can’t afford to get to cancer treatment.”

According to Young Lives vs Cancer, young people and their families have to pay an extra £700 a month on average on costs like travel, food and clothing while going through treatment.

A report from the charity earlier in 2024 said there were healthcare travel cost schemes, but “a range of barriers to receiving this support mean the vast majority of children and young people with cancer miss out on this much needed assistance”.

The charity is calling on the Government to introduce a £10 million Young Cancer Patient Travel Fund so that young people and families have the support they need to travel to their treatment.

Ben said it “easily” costs him more than £400 every time he has a round of treatment – he said with train tickets for him and his mother and petrol and parking costs.

“I’ve got a credit card that I’ve had to put all the costs on and then you slowly pay it off, but some people can’t afford to do that,” he said.

“So, some people either have to go without the treatment or they might not be able to put the heating on that week.”

Staying positive

Ben said his diagnosis “plays” on his mind as lumps continue to appear, but he has tried to remain positive and has even taken up running, completing several Nuclear Races and the 2023 Ipswich Half Marathon.

Being more “active” has helped him lose four stone from May this year – weight he gained from comfort eating after his diagnosis – and he is now continuing to focus on his health and wellbeing.

Ben’s Young Lives vs Cancer social worker Abby has also helped him with financial grants and arranged special trips and days out, including tickets to Wimbledon, which he said was “absolutely amazing”.

As Ben looks ahead to his next Tough Mudder run in November, he wants to “prove” to himself and others that you can achieve your goals and he wants to help raise more awareness of lymphoma.

Young Lives vs Cancer social workers help young people, like Ben, to access financial benefits and provide grants to help with these extra costs.