Latest news with #myeloma
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Dad's symptoms dismissed as a virus before incurable cancer diagnosis
A father whose feet were so numb he felt like he was "walking in flippers" before an incurable blood cancer diagnosis has vowed to defy expectations and live to 100. Mart Roe, 62, a duty manager for a security team at a shopping centre, had been experiencing agonising back pain for weeks when he started losing the feeling in his feet and lower half of his body in 2020. After his symptoms were initially dismissed as a virus by a GP, he sought further medical advice and was soon told he had the incurable blood cancer myeloma in October that year. Scans revealed his T3 vertebra was "missing", he had four fractures in his back and was on the verge of paralysis. His treatment plan included radiotherapy, chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in 2021. Mart in hospital wearing a back brace to stabilise his spine (Collect/PA Real Life) Mart, who lives in Basingstoke, Hampshire, experienced several complications post-transplant, including countless infections which left him in hospital for weeks, but he has since reached remission. While he is still undergoing maintenance chemotherapy, Mart said he is 'living (his) best life' and is now fronting Myeloma UK's 'Know the Warning Signs' campaign to help the public spot the tell-tale symptoms of myeloma. Speaking about his perspective on life now, Mart told PA Real Life: 'I just live for today. 'If somebody says, 'You've probably got five years', why can't I be the one that doesn't have five years? 'I've always said, 'I'm going to live until I'm 100'.' Mart in hospital (Collect/PA Real Life) In August 2020, Mart, who lives with his 39-year-old wife Kayleigh, woke up one morning with a very sore upper back, which initially felt like a 'niggly' pain. Soon enough, it turned into a 'horrendous' sharp, stabbing pain, and he booked an appointment with a chiropractor, believing it was a slipped disc or trapped nerve in his back. 'I went to the chiropractor to see if they could help, but I was in so much pain I couldn't even get on the table,' Mart explained. With the chiropractor declining treatment because of the pain, Mart said he consulted his GP but was told the twinge between his shoulder blades was caused by a virus and would sort itself out eventually. Mart and his wife Kayleigh (Collect/PA Real Life) When he started experiencing 'numbness from (his) chest downwards', however, he knew it was something more serious. 'I remember pinching myself, and it didn't hurt as much as you thought it might,' he said. 'But my feet were perhaps the most uncomfortable because it felt like they were being squashed into something, like I was walking in flippers. Symptoms of myeloma may include: bone pain – you may feel this in your back, hips, shoulders or ribs feeling very tired for no reason shortness of breath muscle weakness headaches feeling very thirsty and needing to pee more often than usual losing weight without trying 'I remember my feet felt like blocks of ice when you've been out in the snow, but they were really warm when you touched them.' Eventually Mart was booked in for an emergency MRI scan at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and, the next day, he received a call telling him to go back to the hospital with an overnight bag. Mart undergoing treatment (Collect/PA Real Life) Days later, in October 2020, after having blood tests and a bone marrow biopsy, Mart was diagnosed with myeloma – a cancer he had 'never heard of'. 'I had a few tears… it was a lot to take in,' he said. 'The consultant explained that it's myeloma and there's no cure for it, and you think of the worst thing, which is dying. 'I was on my own at that time (because of Covid-19 restrictions) and I kept thinking of the family, Kayleigh, my daughter. 'I just thought, 'God, how am I going to tell them?'.' Mart is now fronting Myeloma UK's 'Know the Warning Signs' campaign (Collect/PA Real Life) Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer which occurs in the bone marrow, and symptoms include persistent or unexplained pain, particularly in the back or ribs, fatigue, unexplained weight loss and numbness in the feet, hands or legs. Despite being one of the most common types of blood cancer, myeloma is difficult to detect as symptoms are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions, Myeloma UK says. For Mart, he underwent radiotherapy to reduce the swelling of the 'bulging' discs in his spine, before starting six months of chemotherapy, which caused side effects of fatigue and nausea. During this time, he had to wear a back brace for 14 weeks to 'stabilise' his spine – which he described as his 'tortoise shell' – and was forced to use a cane or walking frame. Mart had to wear a back brace and use a walker as a result of the damage to his bones (Collect/PA Real Life) 'Where his vertebra had gone, the T3 one, the discs had bulged either side and it had shut off his spinal cord, which is why he was numb from the chest down,' Kayleigh explained. 'He had four fractures in his spine as well, but we didn't actually know this until he was discharged.' After his back brace was taken off, Mart had to learn how to walk again after muscle wastage, and then he had a stem cell transplant in November 2021, which caused him to lose 10kg in nine days. Before the transplant, during the process of harvesting stem cells, Mart said he developed blood clots caused by a condition called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), and afterwards, he was left with the 'immune system of a newborn', meaning he was susceptible to infections. Mart in hospital due to a blood clot (Collect/PA Real Life) At his worst, he said he was in hospital with four simultaneous infections – Covid, RSV and influenza type A and B. 'I just had to take everything one step at a time,' Mart said. 'I was just trying to be confident and positive.' Mart said he started a diary after his transplant to monitor his symptoms, recording his daily temperature and blood pressure readings and diet. Mart and Kayleigh gearing up for their Myeloma UK Lost in Lapland challenge (Collect/PA Real Life) While he is still at risk of infection and currently undergoing maintenance chemotherapy, Mart is now in remission and determined to live life to the fullest. He proposed to his partner Kayleigh in March 2021 and they got married in May 2023, describing it as 'the best day', and Mart is planning a trip to Dubai for Kayleigh's 40th next year. He wants to raise more awareness of myeloma with the charity Myeloma UK and encourage others to get any unusual symptoms checked as soon as possible. Mart and Kayleigh described their wedding day as 'perfect' (Sian Fisher/PA Real Life) Reflecting on his diagnosis, Mart said: 'All of a sudden you go in with a bad back, and then the next thing in your head is you dying. 'But for me, I'm grateful that I wake up every morning and I don't take things for granted. 'I always tell people that if you're going to do something, do it, make the most of what's now, because you just never know (what might happen). 'I've got myeloma, where there's no cure, but it's treatable, and five years down the line, I'm here living my best life.' For more information or to contact Myeloma UK, visit or call its infoline on 0800 980 3332.
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Sun
Doctors dismissed my numb feet as a virus – little did I know it was a sign of incurable cancer
A DAD'S feet went so numb he felt like he was 'walking in flippers'. Mart Roe, 62, was dismissed as having a virus by doctors but his symptoms turned out to be a sign of incurable cancer. 10 Mart, a security team duty manager, had been experiencing agonising back pain for weeks when he started losing feeling in the lower half of his body in 2020. After his symptoms were initially dismissed as a virus by a GP, he sought further medical advice. Days later, in October that year, the dad was told he had the incurable blood cancer myeloma - a cancer he had 'never heard of'. Scans revealed his T3 vertebra was 'missing', he had four fractures in his back and he was on the verge of paralysis. Mart said: 'I had a few tears… it was a lot to take in. 'The consultant explained that it's myeloma and there's no cure for it, and you think of the worst thing, which is dying. 'I was on my own at that time [because of Covid-19 restrictions] and I kept thinking of the family, Kayleigh, my daughter. 'I just thought, 'God, how am I going to tell them?'.' Mart, who lives with wife Kayleigh, 39, woke up one morning in August 2020 with a very sore upper back, which initially felt like a 'niggly' pain. Soon, it turned into a 'horrendous' sharp, stabbing pain, and he booked an appointment with a chiropractor, believing it was a slipped disc or trapped nerve in his back. 'I went to the chiropractor to see if they could help, but I was in so much pain I couldn't even get on the table,' Mart explained. The chiropractor refused to treat Mart because he was so much agony, so the dad consulted his GP. But he was told the twinge between his shoulder blades was caused by a virus and would sort itself out eventually. When he started experiencing 'numbness from [his] chest downwards', however, he knew it was something more serious. 10 10 'I remember pinching myself, and it didn't hurt as much as you thought it might,' he said. 'But my feet were perhaps the most uncomfortable because it felt like they were being squashed into something, like I was walking in flippers. 'I remember my feet felt like blocks of ice when you've been out in the snow, but they were really warm when you touched them.' Eventually Mart was booked in for an emergency MRI scan at Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital and, the next day, he received a call telling him to go back to the hospital with an overnight bag. Days later, he was diagnosed with myeloma, an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrow. Symptoms include persistent or unexplained pain, particularly in the back or ribs, fatigue, unexplained weight loss and numbness in the feet, hands or legs. Despite being one of the most common types of blood cancer, myeloma is difficult to detect as symptoms are often linked to general ageing or minor conditions, Myeloma UK says. Mart, who lives in Basingstoke, underwent radiotherapy to reduce the swelling of the 'bulging' discs in his spine, before starting six months of chemotherapy, which caused side effects of fatigue and nausea. During this time, he had to wear a back brace for 14 weeks to 'stabilise' his spine – which he described as his 'tortoise shell' – and was forced to use a cane or walking frame. 'Where his vertebra had gone, the T3 one, the discs had bulged either side and it had shut off his spinal cord, which is why he was numb from the chest down,' Kayleigh explained. 'He had four fractures in his spine as well, but we didn't actually know this until he was discharged.' After his back brace was taken off, Mart had to learn how to walk due to his muscles wasting. He had a stem cell transplant in November 2021, which caused him to lose 10kg in nine days. Before the transplant, during the process of harvesting stem cells, Mart said he developed blood clots caused by a condition called heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT). Afterwards, he was left with the 'immune system of a newborn', meaning he was susceptible to infections. At his worst, he said he was in hospital with four simultaneous infections – Covid, RSV and influenza type A and B. 'I just had to take everything one step at a time,' Mart said. 'I was just trying to be confident and positive.' 10 'Living best life' While he is still at risk of infection and currently undergoing maintenance chemotherapy, Mart is now in remission and determined to live life to the fullest. Mart said: 'I just live for today. 'If somebody says, 'You've probably got five years', why can't I be the one that doesn't have five years? 'I've always said, 'I'm going to live until I'm 100'.' The dad said he is 'living [his] best life', proposing to his partner Kayleigh in March 2021 and getting married in May 2023. Mart is now planning a trip to Dubai for Kayleigh's 40th next year. He's fronting Myeloma UK 's 'Know the Warning Signs' campaign to help the public spot the tell-tale symptoms of myeloma. Mart wants to encourage others to get any unusual symptoms checked as soon as possible. Reflecting on his diagnosis, Mart said: 'All of a sudden you go in with a bad back, and then the next thing in your head is you dying. 'But for me, I'm grateful that I wake up every morning and I don't take things for granted. 'I always tell people that if you're going to do something, do it, make the most of what's now, because you just never know [what might happen]. 'I've got myeloma, where there's no cure, but it's treatable, and five years down the line, I'm here living my best life.' 10
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Researcher awarded £300k to study blood cancer treatment
A researcher has been awarded £300,000 to investigate new treatments for aggressive blood cancers. Dr Luciano Nicosia, based at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute at the University of Manchester, received the funding through Blood Cancer UK's Early Career Advancement Fellowship programme. His research will focus on developing more targeted therapies for myeloma and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), two of the most difficult blood cancers to treat. Dr Nicosia said: "I'm thrilled to receive the Blood Cancer UK Early Career Advancement Fellowship. "This support will enable me to investigate how an exciting drug, with promising preclinical and clinical data, could be made more effective in addressing difficult to treat blood cancers like acute myeloid leukaemia and myeloma." Blood cancer is the UK's third biggest cancer killer, claiming more than 15,000 lives each year. Dr Nicosia's work centres on a new drug called CCS1477, which targets proteins that drive the growth of blood cancer cells. READ MORE: Boots forced to make huge change for customers after spate of thefts in UK Wanderers run the rule over experienced former Wigan Athletic keeper Postcode lottery win makes it a weekend to remember for residents While some patients have responded well to the drug in early studies, others have not, and the reasons for this are not yet understood. The research will examine how CCS1477 works at a molecular level to identify which patients are most likely to benefit. It will also look at whether combining the drug with existing treatments could improve outcomes for those who do not respond to CCS1477 alone. The fellowship comes as Blood Cancer UK launches a new £70 million research strategy focused on prevention, early detection, and better treatments. Dr Richard Francis, deputy director of research at Blood Cancer UK, said: "Blood cancer is the UK's third largest cancer killer, taking away more than 15,000 lives every year. "Fellowships like these give early career researchers the security and support to build their own teams and drive the discoveries that will help us beat blood cancer. "We're investing in science that changes lives and Dr Nicosia's project is an exciting step forward in finding better, more personalised treatments for people with limited options."
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Prayers Pouring In After College Basketball Legend Dies At 49
Prayers Pouring In After College Basketball Legend Dies At 49 originally appeared on The Spun. Prayers are pouring in after a legendary men's college basketball player died from cancer at 49 years old. Advertisement Larry Florence, a standout men's basketball player at Nebraska in the late 1990s, passed away over the weekend. He died following a battle with cancer. Florence, a team captain at Nebraska in 1999-2000, was battling multiple myeloma, an aggressive form of blood cancer. 'You understand as a human being, God wants us to work together and help each other, but sometimes you've got to take a step back and be like, 'No,' turn your phone off and just relax,' he told the Ledger-Enquirer last April. 'I want people to really concentrate on, especially men in general, to not be so manly. Get your checkups. Get your blood work done.' NCAA ball on floor. (Photo by)Florence credited basketball with saving his life. Advertisement 'It saved my life because it gave me a sense of purpose,' he said. 'Once you figure out that you're pretty good at it, now you got to work at it. … It gave me a sense of pride to be doing something that other people want to come and watch you do. … If I didn't have basketball, I could have been out in these streets doing nonsense, whether it was drinking alcohol every day or doing drugs. … It was really difficult in the hood, as far as guys selling drugs or breaking into people's homes or stealing cars.' Prayers are pouring in for his friends and family members on social media. "This hurts! A Nebraska legend and true inspiration in life. Larry thank you for your transparency and your faith through it all," one fan wrote. "Man. This is sad. Larry Florence was such a good player," one fan added. Advertisement "Very sad to hear the passing of Larry Florence," one fan added. "Gutted hearing the news of Larry Florence's passing. RIP L-Flo! 💔5️⃣," one fan added. Our thoughts are with his friends and family members during this difficult time. May he rest in peace. Prayers Pouring In After College Basketball Legend Dies At 49 first appeared on The Spun on Jul 6, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jul 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Health
- BBC News
'My blood cancer was dismissed as a pulled muscle'
A former footballer has told how he was in "complete shock" after being diagnosed with blood cancer - after first believing the pain was from a pulled Tottoh was diagnosed with myeloma after months of rib and back father-of-three, from Freckleton in Lancashire, when to the GP after feeling a "searing pain" that made him feel like he had broken a rib when taking a swing on the golf course in 2021."When I was diagnosed, I had holey bones in my ribs, thighs, spine and skull," said the 68-year-old, who played for Preston North End in the 1980s. He said he had twinges in his ribs and back for a year and a half before his diagnosis, but initially put them down to playing a lot of the pain got worse in the middle of 2020, he consulted his GP who told him he had likely pulled a muscle and that the twinges would sort themselves out. "It progressed over months to being quite debilitating," he recalled. "It got to a point where it started having a real impact on my life."After blood tests he was diagnosed with myeloma in August 2021. "Being struck down with this was a complete shock," he said. "My dad had died of cancer and then, in the last 12 years, two of my brothers died of cancer. I thought it was the end."But the team at Blackpool Victoria Hospital "were amazing", he said. Mr Tottoh had radiotherapy to treat the damage to his bones. He then had chemotherapy, followed by a stem cell transplant and has been in remission since November 2022. 'Positive mindset' Throughout, the support of family and friends has been invaluable, he said."It takes a small army to get you through this ordeal," said Mr Tottoh, who is still on maintenance treatment to keep his cancer at bay for as long as possible. "The most important thing now is having people in your corner, people who care, people who lift you up when you're down. "My family and closest friends have done that."Nearly five years on from his diagnosis, Mr Tottoh is now determined to make memories with his family and his grandson Theo, nine."My mindset is really positive," he said. "I will see my grandson go to university and get married - if that's what he wants to do. I will see my kids fulfil their dreams. "Right now, I'm in an amazing place and I'm on the path to living with myeloma for a very long time."He said if anyone feels unsure about any symptoms they may have, they should visit the doctor."Nobody knows your body better than you, so own it," he said. Myeloma Myeloma is an incurable blood cancer that occurs in the bone marrowDespite being the third most common type of blood cancer, myeloma is difficult to detect as symptoms are often linked to general ageing or minor conditionsWhile it is incurable, myeloma is treatable in the majority of casesTreatment can lead to periods of remission but the cancer will inevitably come backSource Myeloma UK Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
