“No one wants to hear they have cancer at 18” – Nadia’s story

Nadia, 28, is running her third London Landmarks half marathon for the ICR. She explains why supporting our vital research is so important to her.

When I was 18, I was living in South Africa and was studying for the equivalent of my A-levels. I woke up one morning and, as I was rubbing my neck I felt a small nodule near my thyroid. Initially, I thought it might be a swollen gland, but after a few days it hadn’t gone away, so I went to see the doctor.

Initially, I was misdiagnosed. The doctor said I had a throat infection and prescribed some antibiotics. My gut feeling was that this was not right. I’d had throat infections before and this didn’t feel the same. So I didn’t take the antibiotics and went for a second opinion instead.

I had all sorts of tests, including ultrasound scans and a biopsy, but nothing was conclusive. Meanwhile the lump was still growing. It was decided that I should have surgery to remove it.

Shortly afterwards I was told I had stage 1 follicular thyroid cancer. That’s not something you want to hear at 18. But I knew I couldn’t change it, so my reaction was just to deal with it and get on with whatever needed to be done to treat it. I remember my family being concerned – they were worried about my reaction, fearing that I was not processing the seriousness of what was happening. But I was pragmatic and just wanted to know what was going to be done about it.

I remember asking my consultant if I was the youngest patient he had seen. And when he told me he was treating a four year old with stage 3 or 4 cancer, I realised that I was lucky. I felt that I actually had it easy.

After my surgery, I had to have radiotherapy, but thankfully did not need chemo. I was monitored for several years with follow-up scans, and I will need to be on medication for the rest of my life. A few years ago, following consistently clear scan results, I was discharged by endocrinology.

Of course, I still have days where I feel anxiety. If I notice any bumps or anything out of the ordinary, I automatically think about the worst-case scenario. I am always prepared that my cancer might one day come back. But generally, I feel positive about the future.

I am not the only one in my family to be touched by cancer. I lost my grandfather to metastatic cancer and my aunt and uncle were diagnosed with cancer. Fortunately, they are both in remission now.

I have been running since I was 15 – I was on the track team at school, but then a few years ago, I took a year out from running. When I decided I wanted to get back into it, I wanted to challenge myself and I needed to give myself a good reason to start running again.

That was when I did my first ever half marathon for the ICR. I ran the London Landmarks virtual half marathon in 2020, when the actual race could not go ahead due to Covid. Then I ran the real thing is 2021, again for the ICR. I have run a couple of marathons before, but the London Landmarks is my favourite half marathon. It’s a lovely course and I really enjoy it. The race always has good energy, but it’s not too overwhelming.

‘Without research, there is no way cancer could be treated’

I always run in my ICR T-shirt, whenever I am running. It’s a cause close to my heart. Knowing and understanding the science behind cancer is really important to me.  Cancer is constantly changing and adapting, and there are so many different types. Without research, there is no way it could be treated. Research into cancer is the only way we will ever have a complete cure for the disease and our only hope if we are to stop losing so many people to it.

If people had not understood my type of cancer, they might not have been able to treat me as effectively. I am well aware that less invasive ways of treating cancer are so much better for patients and these discoveries would not be possible without further research. 

So far I have raised £1,700 for the ICR and this year, I have set myself the target of raising a further £500 by running the London Landmarks.  I am really looking forward to the event and having my husband and friends coming down to support me and cheering me along the way.

To support Nadia and raise funds for our vital research, visit Nadia's fundraising page.