Super-active father who never smoked diagnosed with terminal lung cancer with only symptom in leg
Warning: This article contains discussion of cancer which some readers may find distressing.
A super-fit father who never smoked in his life was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
In 2022, Chad Dunbar received the shock diagnosis of lung cancer a week after he had logged over 3,000 miles from cycling in the mountains.
The father-of-two, from Utah, was the cycling ride leader for the largest youth team in the United States for six years.
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After getting some pain and swelling in one of his calves, Chad initially thought he had over-worked a muscle.
However, in a video shared by cancer charity RETpositive, the 45-year-old recalled: "The nurse came in she's like, 'Hey, we think you have lung cancer'.
"I was thinking, man, there's no way.
"I was doing 3,000 miles on my mountain bike every season and my lungs were probably the healthiest piece of me.
"You know it was surreal, it was denial, it was p**sed off, I'd get mad a lot... I had a lot of questions, 'How, why me?'"
At the end of the clip, which was shared on YouTube in 2024, the charity said the cancer had 'spread to his brain, liver, bones and lymph nodes near his heart' before filming.
Chad's uncommon cause of lung cancer
According to the NHS, some of the common symptoms of lung cancer include a persistent cough, coughing up blood, breathlessness and unexplained tiredness. And some 70 percent of lung cancer cases are caused by smoking.
However, Chad's cancer stemmed from a RET mutation, which is a change in a gene that helps cells grow.
In this case, his cells were faulty and grew out uncontrollably, which led to lung cancer.
And lung cancer caused by a RET mutation can spread to other parts of the body, including the bones in the legs.
This can lead to pain, weakness, or even fractures in the legs, making it hard to walk or stand.
A five percent chance of living over five years
In March 2024, Chad said his doctors gave him a five percent chance of living over five years.
"I thought, 'Hey, you know what? Freaking five percent, I'll take those odds'," the tech worker said.
He now plans to enjoy the remainder of his days with his wife Allyson and two sons, Walker and Noah.
In 2021, there were approximately 48,900 new cases of lung cancer in the UK, according to the World Cancer Research Fund.
It's the fourth most common form of cancer in the UK, based on new cases diagnosed in 2021. Breast cancer was the most commonly diagnosed, followed by prostate and bowel cancer.
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.
Anish Vij