NEED TO KNOW
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Grant Learmont, 40, received a stage 4 prostate cancer diagnosis after experiencing mild back and hip pain.
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The cancer has metastasized to his spine, pelvis, and ribs, resulting in bone disease and necessitating intensive treatment.
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Learmont is sharing his journey to highlight that prostate cancer can affect younger individuals and may present with mild symptoms.
A construction worker has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and given a limited life expectancy, despite showing few symptoms.
Grant Learmont, a 40-year-old from Dumfries, Scotland, was an active father of two. He loved playing football, running half marathons, and running his own construction business. In January 2026, he began feeling stiffness in his back and hips and decided to consult a doctor. But the physician dismissed these symptoms as typical “aches and pains.”
“The doctor, along with me, thought it was probably just muscular — from my building work and football,” he recounted. “We both thought it made sense.”
He was referred to a physiotherapist and started a set of exercises. However, by early February, the discomfort had moved to his chest.
“If I was sitting up in bed, or took a deep breath, it was really painful, so I called the doctor again,” he remembered.
After testing, Learmont’s doctor discovered “abnormalities” in his blood, leading to a CT scan. The results were shocking.
On Valentine’s Day, he learned he had stage 4 prostate cancer, and that it had caused bone disease in several areas including the spine, pelvis, and left hip.
“I was completely bewildered; I had no real symptoms—my bathroom visits were normal, and I didn’t notice anything else unusual,” he explained. “I just had a bit of pain leading up to it, and that was it.”
Subsequent scans showed that the cancer had also spread to his collarbones, ribs, and sternum.
The diagnosis left his family—his wife Kirsten, daughter Tilly, 19, and son Shaw, 17—reeling.
“As you can imagine, Kirsten and I have gone through every emotion—devastation, shock, anger, asking ‘why me?’ to finally deciding to face it head-on!” he wrote on a GoFundMe page.
Starting in mid-April, Learmont will begin a treatment called “triplet therapy,” which includes a hormone injection, oral hormones, and chemotherapy. Doctors have suggested that this may extend his life by four to ten years, although the prognosis remains uncertain.
“It’s like finding a needle in a haystack,” he remarked.
He hopes his experience will help raise awareness about prostate cancer and how it can impact younger individuals.
“For a long time, this has been viewed as a disease for older adults, typically in their 60s and 70s. I’m here to show it can happen to younger folks too,” he stated.
“Especially in the construction trade, many builders and joiners often complain about aches and pains. I want to encourage anyone with persistent discomfort to get checked out.”
