‘Cancer broke my back in 11 places - now I’m climbing Snowdon’

EXCLUSIVE: ‘Cancer broke my back in 11 places - now I’m climbing Snowdon’Super-fit David Macartney first noticed a small lump in his armpit - 'when I mentioned it to my GP I could see from his face that something wasn’t right'CommentsNewsMartin Bagot Health and Science Editor14:00, 19 Apr 2026View 5 ImagesThe discovery of a lump under his armpit saw David's life change foreverA runner who once completed the London Marathon has told how cancer resulted in his back breaking in eleven places.‌Super-fit David Macartney was diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma and gruelling treatment left him “in agony, on morphine and unable to move the bottom half of my body”. But after a miraculous recovery, the 51-year-old is in remission, able to walk again and has successfully made it to the summit of the Snowdon mountain in north Wales.‌David, from Hazel Grove, Stockport, told the Mirror it all started in early 2022 after he noticed a small lump under his armpit while getting changed after doing water sports. The father-of-three said: “I didn’t think anything of it at first.‌View 5 ImagesDavid in hospital after his diagnosisREAD MORE: Deadly 'forgotten cancer' symptoms include heartburn - but it might be hard to spotREAD MORE: Cancer risk increased by 30% by these diets, Oxford University study reveals“But when I mentioned it to my GP a couple of weeks later, I could see from his face that something wasn’t right. Being put on a cancer pathway was a huge shock - and the eight weeks waiting for a diagnosis felt like forever.“When I was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, I was terrified. There’s no way around that. Hearing a life-threatening diagnosis forces you to face things you normally push away. I had real fear; the fear of dying, fear of leaving my family behind.”‌View 5 ImagesDavid with wife LisaDavid, an area manager with Topps Tiles, was supported by wife Lisa and his three children Charlotte, Ollie and Beau. He began inte...