Man, 41, blamed backache on exercising only to discover it was terminal cancer

A dad who dismissed persistent back pain as the result of years spent exercising was devastated to discover it was actually a symptom of terminal cancer.

Rob Houliston, 41, had played rugby for more than three decades when he began experiencing twinges in his back earlier this year.

At first, the security-systems installer saw little reason to worry and assumed the discomfort was simply the price of spending so long playing a contact sport.

Over the following months, though, Rob began feeling sick after eating and rapidly lost weight, eventually shedding three-and-a-half stone and giving up rugby. Despite the changes, it was an entirely unrelated incident that ultimately led doctors to uncover the cause.

Rob, from near East Grinstead, West Sussex, went to hospital in June after being hit between the legs by a dog, leaving one of his testicles badly swollen.

The dad initially assumed his back pain came from years of rugby (SWNS)

Speaking about the symptoms he had initially brushed aside, Rob said, as reported by The Sun: “I just thought ‘of course I have backache, I play rugby.’”

Recalling the accident that finally prompted him to seek medical help, he said: “When I was hit by the dog, I went down like a sack of potatoes; we all laughed.

“My left testicle went massive, honestly like a tennis ball. I was struggling to sit down, but I just thought ‘it’ll get better’.”

Doctors at Princess Royal Hospital initially carried out an ultrasound to check for testicular cancer. However, they instead discovered a hard, swollen vein behind the enlarged testicle, which indicated there could be a problem with his kidney.

Further tests, including a CT scan, then revealed a large tumour, and Rob was diagnosed with renal cell carcinoma.

Doctors determined that the tumour had been pressing against his stomach, which explained the nausea and loss of appetite he had been experiencing.

Rob underwent a seven-and-a-half-hour operation in July to remove the affected kidney and tumour, leaving him with a 14-inch scar around his torso.

Rob underwent a seven-and-a-half-hour operation to remove his kidney and tumour (SWNS)

Finding some humour in the aftermath of the surgery, Rob said: “At least it’s quite cool; it looks like a shark attack.”

Sadly, he was also told that his type of cancer cannot be treated with chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and that the average survival time in his case is four years.

Rob, who is instead due to undergo immunotherapy, has insisted he remains determined to fight the disease. He said: “Four years is not long, but I’m not going to give up.

“I’ve beaten a very rare kind of cancer once. This is quite rare, and I’ll beat it again.”

He previously survived rhabdomyosarcoma after developing a rare tumour in his left ear when he was just six years old.

Rob said: “It is what it is. There’s nothing I can do but crack on, be positive, and fight it.

“There’s no point moping around and worrying about it; you just have to live life as best you can and take whatever comes to you.”

His family has since launched a GoFundMe to help pay for a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Disneyland, raising thousands of pounds.

Rob has also set himself the goal of returning to work and eventually getting back on the rugby pitch.

He said: “Don’t give up, set yourself goals and take little steps.”