Man diagnosed with cancer aged 28 shares three early signs he noticed

A man who was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer has revealed the three warning signs which signalled something was wrong.

When content creator Dan (@daninprogresss) was 28 years old, he was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), which is also referred to as myelodysplasia.

A lesser-known type of blood cancer, MDS impacts a person's bone marrow, a part of the body which is responsible for producing red and white blood cells in the body, per the NHS.

It's currently not known what causes MDS, with the healthcare provider noting that the cancer is more common in men over the age of 70, people with family members who've been diagnosed with myeloid leukaemia (AML) and anyone who's worked with the chemical benzene.

"[MDS] produces immature or faulty blood cells that just aren't healthy," Dan, who now works as a cancer recovery coach, explained in another video addressing his cancer. "And those faulty cells sort of crowd out the good ones."

Symptoms are often mild at first, but for Dan, he recalled three signs that something was wrong with his body.

Extreme fatigue

The first change Dan noticed was that he experienced 'extreme fatigue' while doing simple day-to-day tasks. This included activities such as 'hanging the washing out' or going to the shops, noting that it would leave him feeling extremely tired.

"This isn't like normal tiredness or your fitness [not being] like it used to be, where you can only run for a couple of minutes before feeling like you've got a stitch," he said.

Caused by a drop in healthy red blood cells, tiredness and fatigue is thought to be one of the main warning signs of MDS, with Aplastic Anemia and MDS International Foundation noting that 90 percent of MDS patients experience it.

A weakened immune system

Another symptom Dan noticed was that he was suffering from a weakened immune system, meaning that he would easily pick up illnesses and struggle to fight them off.

"[I] was picking up every single illness going," he said, going on to explain that unlike most people, who pick up seasonal colds several times a year, he felt like he was hit really hard by each bug.

"If I got it, it would literally last me a month, and all I would need to do is literally stare at someone that was ill and I would instantly have it."

A weakened immune system is caused by a disruption to white blood cells, which are a crucial part of the body's defence against infection.

Random bruising across the body

The third warning sign Dan noted was bruising, primarily on his arms. This is caused by a drop in platelets, which are colourless cell fragments responsible for healing wounds.

"The main area I got them was on my arms," he said, noting they would often span significant areas of his arm.

"And it wouldn't be from falling over or knocking into anything at all."

Following his diagnosis, Dan underwent chemotherapy as well as a bone marrow transplant to fight off the cancer. He is now cancer-free and dedicates his time to helping people rebuild themselves mentally and physically after their illness.

Cautioning people that experiencing such symptoms doesn't always mean cancer, he added: "If you do have any of these symptoms, chances are it's nothing serious.

"But if you are at all concerned, just visit your local doctor or GP."

If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.