'If you feel or see anything strange, don't hesitate to get checked out, listen to your instincts', warns man diagnosed with rare cancer

This is the important advice issued by Jock McGowan, who was recently diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called a Sarcoma.

A Sarcoma is a cancer that can affect any part of the body, on the inside or outside, including the muscle, bone, tendons, blood vessels and fatty tissues. It is a rare cancer with only 15 people being diagnosed daily in the UK. There are around 100 different subtypes of Sarcoma, but the two main types are soft tissue and bone.

Jock, who has worked for the Red Cross for 38 years as a First Aid Trainer and Assessor for communities across Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man, reveals he instinctively knew when he felt a niggle in his arm and noticed a small lump, that he needed to get advice from his GP.

Jock was prescribed antibiotics to treat a possible boil or cyst, but after four weeks of treatment with antibiotics, it was agreed that Jock required an ultrasound scan to determine what was causing the issue.

Jock explains: “I knew there was something wrong after I had the ultrasound, as the nurse called for the consultant to check the results, a biopsy was taken before I left the hospital and less than a week later, I was diagnosed as having a Sarcoma.

“I was shocked, as I did not expect to hear the word cancer, but I gathered my thoughts and asked the consultant about my treatment options and how I could beat this. I required CT and MRI scans to determine the specific area of the cancer and to help decide if I should have radiotherapy before or after an operation to remove the mass. It was concluded that radiotherapy before the operation was the best course of action, so I started a six week period of radiotherapy sessions, 25 in total, to stop the spread of the cancer before the surgery.

“I arrived at the hospital on the morning of my surgery at 7am and once a few checks were done, I was taken straight down to surgery.

"I woke up five and a half hours later covered in drains and drips, but with a great sense of relief and the feeling of a great weight being lifted off my shoulders. Thankfully I am doing well.

“I am very grateful to have come through all of this so well and I genuinely cannot thank the Sarcoma Nurses and the entire Cancer Team enough for what they have done for me.”

Signs and symptoms can vary, but if you are experiencing any of these issues it is important to make an appointment to see your GP: A lump which is growing, changing, or is bigger than the size of a golf ball; Swelling, tenderness or pain in or around the bone, which may come and go and may be worse at night; Stomach pain, feeling sick, loss of appetite or feeling full after eating only a small amount of food; or Blood in either your stool or vomit.

To find out more about Sarcoma’s you can visit www.sarcoma.org.uk or www.macmillan.org.uk

You can also email: [email protected] for information on local support services.