Despite living a healthy, active lifestyle and never smoking, Catherine was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2019 after a fall at the gym led to a scan revealing something “nasty” in her lungs.
Four years after surgery, the cancer returned as stage 4 ROS1-positive — a rare, mutation-driven form that affects just 1–2% of patients.
Now managing her condition with targeted therapy, Catherine continues to live life fully and raise awareness through the This is Lung Cancer campaign and Ros1ders UK. She shares her story to show that anyone can get lung cancer — and that there is hope.
“There is no logical reason why I should have lung cancer.
“I ate organic. I was an avid gym goer. I didn’t smoke. Yet I still got lung cancer. I’m now sharing my story to show that when it comes to lung cancer, it really is anyone who can get it.
“I was first diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2019. It all started when I fell of the treadmill in the gym. I felt this terrible ache in my spine, so I went to the doctor.
Something nasty
“They did a scan and it from that that the radiologist spotted something ‘nasty’ in my lungs. It was the biggest shock of my life. I felt like my body had betrayed me and I lost all trust in everything.
“Within a week of my diagnosis, I had a lobectomy and for four years, everything was fine. Then, in 2023, the cancer returned with all its fury. My left lung was covered in tumours. It had spread to the lymph nodes, and the consultant confirmed it was now stage 4.
“A biopsy also revealed that it was a mutation-driven lung cancer called ROS1+, a rare form of the disease which affects around 1-2% of people who have the disease.
“It’s a very aggressive type of cancer but it responds very well to targeted therapy. In fact, there are patients globally who have been stable on this treatment for up to 15 years. All I have to do is take two pills a day, that’s all.
“The treatment means I can be there for my daughter. I can take my dog out for walks. I can have fun.
Ros1ders UK
“I’m proud to be a lung cancer advocate and be part of the This is Lung Cancer campaign. If I hadn’t been diagnosed, I wouldn’t have had a clue about lung cancer. I want to help other people have a better understanding of it that I did. That way, they might be able to spot any early warning signs.
“I am part of the charity Ros1ders UK. It started out as a small Facebook group but is now a national charity which specifically supports people with ROS1+ lung cancer. I see the people in this community as my brothers and sisters. We are there for each other and truly understand what each other is going through. It gives me a great deal of hope.
“And that’s one thing I want to do by being part of this campaign. I want to spread hope. Because there is hope now, whatever your diagnosis.
“I think if I had been diagnosed 15 years ago, or even less, I wouldn’t be around now. But these new treatments have changed everything. We just need more of them so we can keep living with lung cancer for many, many years.”