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

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

Ben Collins, 24, pictured with his partner Rebekah, received a devastating diagnosis aged just 21
Ben Collins, 24, pictured with his partner Rebekah, received a devastating diagnosis aged just 21Credit: PA
Ben noticed an an itchy lump on his back that was at first mistaken for  ringworm or a tattoo ink allergy
Ben noticed an an itchy lump on his back that was at first mistaken for ringworm or a tattoo ink allergyCredit: PA
Ben was eventually diagnosed with lymphoma
Ben was eventually diagnosed with lymphomaCredit: PA

Altogether, the journeys to and from Guy’s Hospital in London have cost him and his family around £3,000 over three years.Straight away I could see a change in her, and within a week I was in hospital having scans and blood tests – only to be told it was lymphoma.Yes, but I’m sure it’s not that.Was that a lump?

Read more on lymphoma

“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.”“After a couple of weeks, the areas will get red and they constantly come up tanned.”I couldn’t understand what was happening to me when I started itching all over.Deep inside I knew these wouldn’t help – but I didn’t know what would.

Most read in Health

There are two main kinds of lymphoma – Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.After two months of agonising itching, in which it didn’t even occur to me to seek medical help, I was sitting at my desk at work when I just brushed my hand against my neck and shoulder.

People with tattoos have a 21% higher risk of lymphoma blood cancer – even if they’re tiny, study suggests

Lymphoma can cause many different symptoms, depending on which type of lymphoma it is and where it develops in the body.With the constant itching and now a lump, I finally decided to head to the doctors.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.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”.Probably swollen glands, I thought.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.

Ben initially spotted two lumps on his chest which were benign
Ben initially spotted two lumps on his chest which were benignCredit: PA
Ben undergoing radiotherapy
Ben undergoing radiotherapyCredit: PA
Ben was shocked at his diagnosis as he'd assumed the lumps were simply caused by a tattoo allergy
Ben was shocked at his diagnosis as he’d assumed the lumps were simply caused by a tattoo allergyCredit: PA
A tanned patch on Ben’s back following radiotherapy treatment
A tanned patch on Ben’s back following radiotherapy treatmentCredit: PA

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”.Within days I was at hospital for my first chemotherapy – and was so excited that I would finally get relief from my itching.“It’s surprising how many people can’t afford to get to cancer treatment.”“It was red and raised and it was itchy as well.”By Christine Jennings, Production EditorLYMPHOMA is a term for cancer that starts in the lymph system – a network of vessels and glands that spans your body.“It really hit hard at that point.”Friends and family tried giving me advice, such as “change your washing powder” or “use body cream”.

‘Astronomical’ costs

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.“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.No.“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.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.

What are the signs of lymphoma?

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.

And be persistent. My GP’s swift actions saved my life.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.

  1. Swollen lymph nodes, such as in the neck, armpit or groin area
  2. Night sweats
  3. Extreme tiredness
  4. Itching
  5. Unexplained weight loss
  6. Fever
  7. Excessive bleeding, such as nosebleeds, heavy periods and spots of blood under the skin

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

  1. Swelling of the stomach, loss of appetite and other abdominal symptoms
  2. Coughing, shortness of breath, or chest pain 

“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.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.He has since undergone seven rounds of radiotherapy to “blast” the lumps and is currently on an observation period. “I was told: ‘You’ll essentially have the lymphoma for life, unless it gets bad enough that we have to treat you with chemotherapy’.The electrician discovered a lump in his chest in February 2020, but a biopsy found it was “just a fatty lump”.I could definitely feel something – and when I pushed my shoulders back, I could see a swelling.

Staying positive

“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.I rushed to the ladies but couldn’t see anything, so I moved my hand over the place again.Once there, I told my GP about the constant itching.

READ MORE SUN STORIES

I was constantly scratching and even had my husband attack my feet – which I hate being touched – with a hairbrush.“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.”

said he is trying to ‘get his life back’
said he is trying to ‘get his life back’Credit: PA
Ben after the Ipswich Half Marathon in 2023
Ben after the Ipswich Half Marathon in 2023Credit: PA
Ben has lost four stone since May this year
Ben has lost four stone since May this yearCredit: PA

I just wanted relief from the itching – but it turned out to be cancer

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.Other signs of lymphoma in a more localised area include: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”.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 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.A MAN received a devastating diagnosis after being told his an itchy lump on his back could be ringworm or a tattoo allergy. 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.Now, over twenty years have passed and I’m still cancer-free – but the tiniest of itches can make me anxiousThe 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.“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.He said another doctor then suggested it could be an allergic reaction to his tattoos.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.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”.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 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.Have you changed your washing powder?Thankfully, the itching did stop and after six months of chemo for Hodgkin’s lymphoma, plus two more additional months of treatment, I was given the all-clear.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”.As I felt her interest waning, I blurted out: “Oh and I’ve found what I think is a lump on my neck.”New cat, she asked?The most typical signs are:I’d never even heard of it and certainly didn’t know it was cancer.My advice to anyone with the same symptoms is to see your GP straight away.He explained that he “blocked everything out” initially and his diagnosis felt “surreal” for weeks.I had no idea of the gruelling effects rounds of chemo would have in the months ahead.

Leave a Comment