A 23-year-old from Clapham Junction has been diagnosed with a rare brain tumour after initially dismissing his headaches as the result of a hangover and "getting old." Cal Petrie, a South Londoner, was later found to have a grade four pineoblastoma, a rare form of cancer.
Headaches Initially Mistaken for Hangovers
Petrie, who lives in Clapham Junction, South West London, originally believed his symptoms were brought on by drinking alcohol. He said: "Over Christmas, I'd have one beer but three or four hours later I would start to get a headache. I thought I must be getting old when hangovers come so soon after a beer. After taking an ibuprofen, I would be okay."
However, in January of this year, Petrie received the diagnosis of a grade four pineoblastoma. Since then, he has undergone two operations to remove the tumour and excess fluid from his brain, followed by six weeks of proton beam therapy, a treatment in which high energy protons are precisely targeted at a tumour. He is now undergoing chemotherapy.
Raising Awareness and Calling for More Funding
Petrie is collaborating with the charity Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness of the condition and is calling for greater government funding for brain tumour research. He said: "Being told I had a cancerous brain tumour turned my whole world upside down. It was devastating. I started to ask myself, 'why me?' and 'why now?'"
He added: "I felt angry with the situation because it just felt so unfair although, in my head, I knew there was no-one to be angry with. I was just really unlucky. There are very few answers but Government funding for brain tumours is still so low. Everybody facing a diagnosis wants to know why these things are happening. More funding will help answer those questions and will lead to more treatment options and improved outcomes."
Petrie continued: "The doctors have said that I'm such a rare case, so they've taken quite an interest in me. My case is being looked at by dozens of clinicians trying to figure out why this happened, so it doesn't happen again. They don't know if my tumour was really fast-growing or if it's been there for a long time, resting dormant until I had my headaches."
Family Fundraiser and Charity Campaign
Petrie's mum, Lucy Scott-Petrie, is participating in the London to Brighton bike ride on Sunday (September 13) to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research. Dr Karen Noble from Brain Tumour Research commented: "Cal's story reflects the devastating reality faced by so many families across the UK. We are campaigning to increase the national investment in research into brain tumours to at least £45 million a year."
She added: "We need sustained investment if we are to develop kinder, more effective treatments and give brain tumour patients the best possible chance." The charity states that pineoblastomas are predominantly diagnosed in individuals under 20 years old. Warning signs include pressure in the skull, headaches, nausea, and abnormal eye movements.
