I was embarrassed to see a GP about a lump on my penis but I'm glad I did - it turned out to be late stage blood cancer that was caught just in time

For Matthew Spicer, August 2023 should have been one of the most exciting times of his life.Aged 31, the youth worker was just five weeks away from marrying his partner Beth and looking forward to their future together.Instead, he received a devastating cancer diagnosis that threw their wedding into chaos and left him fearing he was going to die.Recalling the moment doctors told him, Matthew, from Weymouth, says: 'I didn't know how to feel. I froze. I felt a new level of panic unlock.'I didn't ask any questions that may have been useful because all I could think about was 'Am I going to die?' and 'What impact does this have on my wife and family?''I felt like I'd let everyone down.'The diagnosis was the eventual answer to a question that had troubled Matthew for weeks, who'd noticed 'unusual' lumps on the head of his penis in the weeks before.Doctors initially suspected the lumps were enlarged or blocked skin glands – a generally harmless condition that can cause small, pale or flesh-coloured bumps on the penis. Matthew Spicer received a devastating cancer diagnosis weeks before marrying his partner Matthew says he 'felt a new level of panic' after doctors told him the news in August 2023But Matthew was also suffering from severe migraines and exhausting fatigue. Tests later revealed a different and unexpected answer: blood cancer.Devastatingly, Matthew was told he had stage four diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, the stage in which the disease spreads to other parts of his body, including his liver, lungs and brain.He was immediately put in for chemotherapy treatment to start the following week. Now 34, Matthew said he was 'in complete shock' and distraught at how it would affect his wedding.'I made jokes that at least it got me out of having to do a speech, when inside I was hurting,' he recalls.'I felt like I'd ruined one of the most special days for the person I cared about most.'Not only did he have that to worry about, but Matthew was suddenly confronted with the prospect of death.Around 5,000 people are diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma each year in Britain, making it one of the most common types of blood cancer. But figures show that just 58 per cent of patients survive for more than five years, when the disease is diagnosed at stage four.For Matthew and Beth, the diagnosis meant cancelling the large wedding they had spent months planning.Instead, they opted for an intimate ceremony attended only by close family because chemotherapy had left his immune system compromised. 'We thought, 'That's OK, we can have the big day to celebrate next year',' Matthew said.He underwent six rounds of R-CHOP chemotherapy, delivered every three weeks over six months, followed by two rounds of the drug methotrexate. Matthew and Beth had to cancel the large wedding they'd planned for an intimate ceremonyIn January 2024, doctors declared him cancer-free, and Matthew and Beth began making plans for the wedding celebration they had postponed.But things were about to take yet another cruel turn.Just six months later, Matthew discovered small lumps on his trapezius – the large muscle between the upper back and neck that extends to the shoulders.'I tried to convince myself it was a muscle knot and exercise-related,' he said.However, after booking an appointment with his consultant, he was told his cancer had returned.Once again, the diagnosis came just weeks before the rearranged wedding. The couple were forced to put their plans on hold while Matthew underwent further chemotherapy and CAR-T cell therapy – a treatment that uses a patient's own immune cells to recognise and attack cancer cells. Although he briefly entered remission again, a routine scan revealed more cancer in April 2025. 'I started to wonder whether I was running out of options, and whether the end was closer than I thought,' Matthew says.Having already tried several treatments, doctors offered him what they believed was his best chance of a lasting remission in September 2025: a stem cell transplant. This type of procedure is reserved for when a blood cancer is aggressive or comes back. It uses healthy stem cells from a donor to rebuild the patient's immune system and help their body fight the cancer. Matthew said the treatment was gruelling. 'There were moments where I felt overwhelmed by anxiety and uncertain about the future,' he said.'Then there were moments where I lay in my bed experiencing numbness, whilst staring at the walls, feeling so wiped out that I literally couldn't feel anything.'Thankfully, the treatment appears to have worked. A year later, Matthew remains in remission. Today, remains in remission and he and Beth are looking forward to one day starting a family'At one point, I was really doubting as to whether it was something I'd ever hear,' he says.'I finally feel that I can begin to move on – only, this time, with a new perspective on life.'He still receives intravenous immunoglobulin infusions, which provide infection-fighting antibodies to support his immune system, along with donor cell top-ups and routine scans. What is diffuse large B cell lymphoma? And how to spot it...Diffuse large B cell lymphoma is an aggressive type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma - cancer that affects infection-fighting white blood cells.The disease develops when these cells grow out of control and form tumours in the lymphatic system.It is more common among men than women, but symptoms can often be missed.One of the most common warning signs is a painless swelling in the neck, armpit or groin.Other symptoms include heavy sweating at night, unusually high temperatures that come and go, and unexplained weight loss.Less frequently, the disease can develop outside the lymph nodes.This can trigger symptoms depending on the part of the body affected, such as stomach pain, diarrhoea or bleeding if it develops in the gut, or a cough and breathlessness if it affects the chest. Source: Cancer Research UK But for the first time in years, the future looks bright. 'I've learned to hold on tightly to hope,' Matthew says.'Today, I'm hopeful for a long, healthy life – one where I can fully appreciate the present and use the lessons this journey has taught me.'Cancer has reshaped the way I see the world. It's reminded me that everything can be taken from us in a second, and we should go after the things we want in life.'He says he and Beth are looking forward to travelling the world together and one day starting a family. In the meantime, he is supporting Lymphoma Action's campaign, Let's talk lymphoma to encourage other people to open up about their health.'One of the most important lessons my diagnosis has taught me is this: don't ignore the signs your body is giving you,' Matthew says.'Symptoms don't always go away on their own, so it's better to be cautious than to wish you had acted sooner.'If something doesn't feel right, trust that instinct. Ask questions. Don't be scared to push back. Advocate for yourself as if you would for a loved one.'Catching it at an early stage could literally be the difference between life and death.'Symptoms of the disease include swollen glands in the neck, armpit or groin that are usually painless.Unexplained weight loss, tiredness, night sweats, fever, itching, a shortness of breath and persistent fevers are other warning signs.