Shafi Islam, 26, from Tower Hamlets, East London, put his night sweats and fever down to a passing illness, only to be diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer. He began experiencing headaches and fever in March but dismissed them for a month, believing he had caught a bug while working as a room survey assistant for London Business School.
Diagnosis after delayed medical visit
When his symptoms worsened, Shafi visited his GP, who advised him to buy Gaviscon and booked him for blood and stool tests, along with a chest x-ray. Days later, he went to A&E, where a biopsy on his armpit revealed low-grade lymphoma. However, doctors noted the severity of his symptoms did not match, prompting a second biopsy on his liver. In June, he was diagnosed with stage four diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, a rare and aggressive cancer accounting for only 1% to 3% of all large B-cell lymphoma cases.
Shafi told Talk to the Press: "It didn't cross my mind at all that it could be cancer. I was very healthy, exercising regularly and job hunting Monday to Saturday." Doctors believe Shafi had a slow-growing form of lymphoma for years without symptoms before it suddenly transformed into the aggressive cancer.
Treatment and side effects
Shafi is currently undergoing six rounds of chemotherapy, starting in June just a week before his 26th birthday. After his first cycle, he experienced severe side effects: "My whole body was shivering for a couple of hours and my temperature hit 40 degrees. I ended up back in hospital on antibiotics." His hair began falling out, so he shaved it off. He also had four litres of fluid drained from his swollen stomach.
Despite the prognosis, Shafi remains focused on recovery. His doctor mentioned a "over 50% chance of prognosis," which Shafi found less optimistic than expected. "I thought it would be at least 80%," he said.
Career determination amid illness
Shafi, a University of Greenwich graduate in creative writing (2021), had been applying for apprenticeships and graduate schemes from Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm, facing hundreds of rejections due to lack of experience. Before falling ill, he secured a temporary park attendant role but was removed after being hospitalised before his start date, which he called "heartbreaking."
Despite the cancer diagnosis, Shafi continues job hunting daily and building connections on LinkedIn. "It's been a thousand times harder because I'm dealing with cancer, the impact on my family and the financial pressure," he said. His dream job is in recruitment, but he remains open-minded, seeking a place to learn and grow.
Looking forward
Shafi has completed two cycles of chemotherapy and awaits scans to determine if the treatment is working. He faces four more cycles but remains determined: "I'm trying to plan for my life after treatment and I think I'm going to get through it."
