Chloe Houghton, a 32-year-old mother of two from Northamptonshire, has been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 small cell lung cancer after doctors repeatedly dismissed her symptoms. Despite never smoking or vaping, she was told the cancer is predominantly found in older smokers. She now struggles to look at her children, aged one and four, without feeling guilty about leaving them behind.
Misdiagnosis and Delays
Chloe first noticed a small lump on her chest while showering. Initially a few millimetres wide, it grew rapidly and became painful when she picked up her son. A GP told her it was likely just cartilage and, because it moved when pressed, assured her it was a "good" sign and unlikely to be cancerous. Over several visits, doctors blamed her extreme fatigue and breathlessness on toddler exhaustion, and her sudden inability to eat was misdiagnosed as a stomach ulcer.
In August 2025, Chloe pushed to have the lump removed. After weeks without a surgery date, she sought a second opinion. A different GP referred her to a sarcoma clinic as a protocol. By February 2026, the lump had grown to two centimetres, and Chloe's weight had dropped from 10 stone to seven. An urgent CT scan flagged an abnormality on her lungs.
Devastating Diagnosis
Three weeks after the lump was removed, Chloe received a call to meet the consultant "as soon as possible" with a relative. The biopsy revealed neuroendocrine sarcoma, a secondary cancer. The primary was in her lung, and the disease had already spread outside the lung into her chest.
Initially, doctors were hopeful, suggesting chemotherapy followed by surgery. However, a week later, her lung cancer nurse confirmed it was small cell lung cancer, an aggressive form accounting for 10-15% of cases, almost exclusively linked to tobacco use in older adults. Because it had metastasised, surgery was not possible. The oncologist said the cancer would "significantly" reduce her life expectancy, and treatment would be chemotherapy and immunotherapy for as long as her body could tolerate it.
Impact on Family
Chloe said: "I got upset straight away and all I said was 'I've got a one-year-old and a four-year-old. I'm not going to see them grow up, am I?' He turned around to me and said 'It would be incredibly cruel for me to say that you will'. Then everything just sort of stopped around me."
She was handed an SR1 form, a medical report fast-tracking end-of-life support. Her family recognised the form; her father had received the same paperwork before dying of pulmonary fibrosis a year earlier.
Treatment and Advocacy
Chloe began chemotherapy on June 2, 2026, the day before her 32nd birthday. Since starting treatment, her earlier symptoms—fatigue, breathlessness, and inability to eat—have disappeared. Doctors cannot give an exact prognosis; small cell lung cancer typically carries a life expectancy of a few months without intervention.
Chloe is sharing her story on TikTok to raise awareness. She said: "This is a really rubbish situation, but it could be worse. I can't change the card that I've been dealt. I can only change how I respond to it right now. So that's why if I can help spread some awareness and help just one person."
Rising Lung Cancer in Women
According to Cancer Research UK, lung cancer is the second most common cancer in women, with around 24,700 new cases annually—13% of all new female cancer cases. While mortality rates have decreased by 40% since the 1970s due to falling smoking rates among men, incidence in females has increased by over 62%. Experts cite possible causes including hormones, indoor air pollution from wood-burning stoves, and outdoor air pollution, which is believed to cause around one in 10 lung cancer cases in the UK. Research from the Francis Crick Institute suggests air pollution may "wake up" dormant cells carrying cancer-causing mutations.
Key Symptoms
Early-stage symptoms include a new or worsening cough lasting more than three weeks, shortness of breath during normal activities, frequent chest infections, hoarseness, unexplained fatigue, or mild chest discomfort. Screening is currently available for people over 55 with a smoking history, but non-smokers like Chloe are often diagnosed only after the cancer has spread.
