Shock diagnosis after 19yo finds lump on neck

Josh Griffiths was getting ready for work, when he started shaving and noticed something very suspicious

Josh Griffiths was less than a year into his army career when he noticed a suspicious lump on his neck late last year, marking the start of the biggest battle of his life.

At the time, the then-19-year-old private was shaving before work in his apartment on an Adelaide army base when he spotted the firm lump, measuring roughly the size of a golf ball. He had no idea how long it had been there.

“I was worried, but I didn’t know what it was at first,” Mr Griffiths told news.com.au.

Originally from Gosford, on the NSW Central Coast, Mr Griffiths was a fit and otherwise healthy teenager.

Despite feeling completely fine and showing no other symptoms, his thoughts immediately turned to the worst.

“I convinced myself I had cancer,” he said, sharing he chose to “expect the worst, hope for the best”.

After discovering the lump, Mr Griffiths went to work like he did any other day. But it didn’t take long for a friend to notice and suggest he “better go to the doctor”.

During his visit with the on-base doctor, Mr Griffiths underwent a biopsy, but it didn’t return any conclusive results.

“(The doctor) didn’t really say much, he just wanted to keep monitoring it. I think he just didn’t want to worry me,” the now 20-year-old recalled.

Josh Griffiths discovered lump on his neck when he was shaving before work. Picture: Suppled to news.com.au

Weeks later, he was sent for more tests, including another biopsy, an MRI scan and PET scan at the Royal Adelaide Hospital. That’s where a doctor delivered the devastating news to Mr Griffiths and his parents.

“He said, ‘There’s no easy way to say this … you have got cancer’,” Mr Griffiths said.

“He kept talking and I wasn’t listening, because I was just out of it.”

Mr Griffiths was told he had synovial sarcoma – a rare and aggressive form of soft-tissue cancer that usually affects young adults.

Early symptoms can include swelling or a lump under the skin.

As the news sunk in, Mr Griffiths only felt one emotion.

“I was just angry. I was only a year into the army … (It was thinking) I won’t be able to continue for a good while because of treatment and recovery,” he said.

It was his dream career, and he’d joined at age 18 when he was just two months out of high school at age 18.

“It was a lengthy process (to get in), there were a couple of tests and a couple of interviews,” he said, adding he had to complete entry-level fitness exams, including push-ups, sit-ups and a beep test.

Now he was swapping the barracks for hospital beds.

But Mr Griffiths was determined to not let cancer get in the way of his career.

From day one, he had one goal – “beat it and get back to the army”.

The once small lump grew to the size of a baseball ball. Supplied to news.com.au

After being handed the diagnosis in Adelaide, Mr Griffiths chose to undergo treatment back home in NSW and was referred to the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse, a not-for-profit cancer treatment centre, which provided his parents a place to stay while he underwent treatment.

Two weeks later, he began four sessions of intensive chemotherapy. The sessions, which would last three days, and take place every three weeks, quickly took a physical toll.

“It made me very weak. It feels like you’re poisoning your body, so it’s not nice to have and it makes you very susceptible to getting sick afterwards,” he said.

“(During one session), I slept for the entire three days, which was never happened. And then when it was time to go, I sat up and just vomited everywhere, which probably wasn’t a good sign.”

Throughout it all, the lump also continued to grow.

“It looked like a baseball … but instead of being firm, it was mushy,” he said.

After chemotherapy, he went through surgery to remove the lump followed by six weeks of radiotherapy.

Through those challenging times, Mr Griffiths said it was the support of his family and friends that got him through.

“I wouldn’t want to be alone going through that situation,” he said.

While there were moments he felt like he was missing out on what his mates were doing back on base, he never once doubted he wouldn’t beat the disease and re-join them.

“I always kept a positive mindset, so I didn’t try to flood my mind with negative things,” he said.

“There was times where it got a bit overwhelming, but I tired to have positive thoughts and think positively.”

Chemotherapy made the 20-year-old feel “very weak”. Supplied to news.com.au

After pushing through months of treatment, Mr Griffiths was delivered the incredible news that he was cancer free last week on August 15.

“I was very, very happy,” he said.

He now requires three-month check-ups and has resumed working two days at a local Army Reserve base, where he helps out around the grounds and works with the reserves.

With his eyes set on eventually serving in Australia’s special forces, Mr Griffiths is working hard to regain his fitness to pass a physical exam at the end of the year so he can return to work full-time.

As part of his preparation, he is taking on the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse “Go The Distance” challenge next month, where participants run, bike or swim to help raise funds to help bring cancer treatment closer to home for regional patients.

“I definitely want to try and challenge myself, so I’ll go for a challenging number of kilometres,” he said.

In the meantime, he encourages other young people battling cancer to always “keep goals in the back of your mind” and for all Aussies to keep an eye on any changes in their bodies.

“If you notice something, go and get it checked. If it’s nothing, then at least you’ll find out. But if it’s something, you’ll be glad you checked.”

Josh has now finished treatment and as part of his plan to return to full time work in the Army is taking on the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse ‘Go The Distance’ challenge which raises funds to help bring life-changing cancer care closer to home for regional patients. You can register for the challenge here.