Overview
- Chandler Heatley first went to A&E in April with blood in his urine and was treated for a UTI with antibiotics and advice to drink cranberry juice.
- A May low-contrast CT suggested stones and showed lung nodules, and a subsequent high-contrast scan at Freeman Hospital revealed a tennis-ball-sized prostate mass.
- Because the tumour appeared to be spreading quickly, doctors started chemotherapy in June before pathology; a biopsy a week later confirmed prostate sarcoma with metastases to the lungs, liver and bones, which medics say is incurable.
- Heatley has completed six rounds of chemotherapy and reports a better-than-expected response, with doctors now considering radiotherapy, an alternative regimen or surgery.
- His mother cites a rare DICER-1 mutation and the family urges greater vigilance for cancer in younger patients as they seek clinical-trial opportunities.