A 23-year-old man from Liverpool, England, learned that he has stage 4 cancer after doctors initially misdiagnosed his symptoms, his family told the Liverpool Echo .

Doctors Misdiagnosed Kyle Kennedy

Kyle Kennedy began experiencing swelling and pain in his neck, as well as night sweats, back in August. He immediately went to see his doctor, who told Kennedy the symptoms were likely the result of swollen glands. The patient was prescribed paracetamol, a medicine similar to Tylenol which is comprised mostly of acetaminophen.

But when Kennedy awoke one morning with a severely swollen face, his family knew the issue was not due to swollen glands. “That weekend he kept saying to me and my mum, ‘I just don’t feel right, it’s getting worse,’” Kennedy’s sister, Kelsey Thomas, recalled. “He woke up one morning and his face had blown up, as if he’d had an allergic reaction. I kept asking him if he was sure it wasn’t his hay fever.”

Kennedy still went to work that morning, but the swelling was so severe that his boss sent him home and urged him to seek a second professional opinion. “He sent me a picture of his face a couple of days later and it had swelled up even more,” Thomas said. “After another GP visit, he was told to go straight to hospital.”

He Was Soon Diagnosed with Cancer

After undergoing an emergency CT scan at Royal Liverpool Hospital, Kennedy was told that he had a large tumor in his chest which had already spread to his tonsils and bowels. Several weeks later, he was officially diagnosed with stage 4 diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive form of cancer which occurs in white blood cells.

Thomas admitted that Kennedy and the rest of her family have been left shocked after his diagnosis. “There’s a 12-year gap between me and Kyle. I was 12 when my mum had him, and I basically helped to bring him up. We’re really close,” she said. “It’s just absolutely devastating…It’s been an emotional rollercoaster for all of us as a family.”

‘Such a Lovely Lad’

Thomas continued: “He’s such a lovely lad, quiet and private. He was playing padel every single night until he was diagnosed. Considering he had a mass on his chest, he wasn’t breathless or anything like that. Every night after work he’d either be going to the gym or playing [the racket sport] padel. He was always really fit and healthy.”

Kennedy is currently on his second round of a six-month chemotherapy regimen. His sister said the experience has depleted him, but he’s determined to see it through. “His first chemo floored him,” she told the outlet. “He was in bed for a full week with tiredness and sickness. But this time round, he was only in bed for a couple of days. It’s like he’s got this fight in him; he wants to face it head on.”

This story was originally reported by Men’s Journal on Nov 5, 2025, where it first appeared in the Health & Fitness section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.