Man devastated after UTI turns out to be terminal prostate cancer

A young man is facing an uncertain future after doctors misdiagnosed symptoms of prostate cancer as a urinary tract infection (UTI).

When Chandler Heatley, 26, a customer-service advisor, from Newcastle noticed blood in his urine in April of this year, he went to his local A&E.

Medics put it down to a UTI, gave him antibiotics and told him to drink cranberry juice before sending him home.

But within a month he began losing weight, developed lower abdominal pain and found he needed to go to the toilet all the time.

By May, the pain was so bad on his left side that it was ‘keeping him up at night’ so he returned to A&E where he had a low contrast CT scan.

The results revealed a suspected stone in his bladder, and more in his kidneys, which would pass naturally. 

However, the scan also showed nodules in his left lung, so Mr Heatley was sent for a high contrast CT scan which revealed a tennis-ball sized growth on his prostate gland which was likely cancer.

Doctors at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle were so concerned by the speed that the mass was was growing and spreading, that Mr Heatley began a course of chemotherapy in June, before an official cancer diagnosis.

Just a week into his treatment, a biopsy confirmed that Mr Heatley had a prostate sarcoma – a rare and aggressive cancer. 

It is found in the tissues of the prostate – which is a walnut-sized gland in the male reproductive system below the bladder.

Sadly, because it had spread to his lungs, liver and bones he was told that it was incurable.

Mr Heatley said: ‘I knew that something was wrong, but I really wasn’t expecting to hear that I had terminal cancer. I just can’t describe how this feels.

‘I wish I’d been given a CT scan the first time. They would have found it sooner, and it would have spread less.

‘I think because of how young I am the focus was on confirming a UTI or a kidney stones diagnosis – rather than an open investigation of my symptoms.’

Medics found too many tumours in his lungs to count with one of them measuring over three inches.

His mother explained he has an extremely rare mutation of DICER-1 – a genetic disorder that increases risk of cancer.

Mr Heatley has now finished his sixth round of chemotherapy, and is trying to remain hopeful. 

‘It’s responded to the chemo better than they thought,’ he said.

‘I’m not dead yet and I’m just going to keep going, maybe they’ll find a cure.

‘Terminal means conventional treatments aren’t expected to work. It doesn’t mean it’s not possible, medical trials are my best hope.

‘I’d love to speak to any consultant who thinks they can help. I’d take part in any clinical trial that could get rid of this tumour.

‘It would be something rather than nothing – even an outside chance.’

His doctors are considering whether to pursue radiotherapy, a different type of chemotherapy or surgery next.

Single-mum Lisa said the family haven’t been able to afford holidays, and she’d love to be able to take Chandler, who is autistic, to Disneyland to make his own light sabre.

Lisa, who is a full-time carer for Chandler’s brother Harvey, 21, said: ‘This has totally blindsided us.

‘This is another young man being told he’s too young to have cancer.

‘We need to be more open to the idea that cancer is a possible diagnosis for young people, we are too quick to dismiss the idea so we’re not catching it fast enough.

‘His world is just opening up, and this is cutting him off before he’s even had the chance to explore.

‘We need to empower young people to have the confidence to ask for investigations that they need.

‘Chandler is such a wonderful person.’

It comes amid a record high number of men in England being diagnosed with the illness prostate cancer.

There were 58,137 new cases found in 2023, making it the most common type of cancer, according to the latest NHS Cancer Registration Statistics published today.

This is 6 per cent more than the previous year and a growth rate almost three-times larger than the 2.4 per cent rise recorded for all cancers.

Symptoms of prostate cancer include needing to pee more, rushing to the toilet, weak flow, blood in urine, difficulty starting to pee and pain in the testicles.