A DAD whose GP sent him home with antibiotics for a suspected infection was later told he had cancer.
Darrell McDonald was misdiagnosed for more than two months before eventually finding out he had synovial sarcoma.
The 44-year-old first noticed a lump in his neck in 2020 during the height of Covid.
His local surgery was reluctant to see him due to the pandemic, but eventually suggested it was likely down to an infection and prescribed him antibiotics.
The lump refused to go away, so Darrell underwent an ultrasound and biopsy, but doctors still couldn’t pinpoint what was causing it.
Then, on his 40th birthday, when he was also meant to be celebrating being offered a new job, the dad-of-two received “horrendous” news.
He had synovial sarcoma – a type of cancer that usually develops in cells around joints and tendons.
Synovial sarcomas are so rare they account for less than half of one percent of all cancer diagnoses.
Recalling when he got the call about his new role, Darrell, from Twickenham, south west London, said: “They remarked, ‘You don’t seem to be excited at the news’.
“I said, ‘Actually, I have just been told I have cancer’.”
The charity worker then had a PET-CT scan, which revealed the cancer had spread to his lungs and he was told the prognosis was poor.
Four weeks later, an MRI spotted two lesions in his brain.
Darrell had pioneering radiotherapy called CyberKnife to radiate the tumours in his brain.
As the cancer continued to grow in his lungs, he was put through “really tough” chemotherapy to try to reduce it.
Darrell said: “They used drugs called doxorubicin and ifosfamide, which are so toxic you can only have six rounds of that combination.
“It was so bad that one day, I fainted and hit my head on the sink in the bathroom at the hospital.
“Because of Covid, I was always on my own, not able to bond with other patients going through the same thing – isolated to my room.
“My family and friends wanted to support me but restrictions made it hard to – although, the wonderful people that they are, they found ingenious ways to do so, which I will be forever grateful for.
“It was a really horrific time. My kids were three and five when I was diagnosed, and it wasn’t easy to know how or what to tell them.
“My wife and my kids are more than my world; they are my purpose.
“We decided to focus on things we could control and not play the part of victim but instead to fight this, and at the same time enjoy the ‘now’ by spending quality time together as a family.
“Of course, we have our moments of being upset, but we are generally positive and doing lots of things together.”
This cancer stuff sucks, right? I wouldn’t wish for it and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone, but I have found positives
Darrell McDonald
Darrell’s cancer is terminal.
He desperately wants GPs to undergo more training to be able to recognise sarcomas and other rare cancers.
“As sarcoma is rare, it doesn’t always get considered, and so including it in training for GPs and others would help bring down the occurrence of misdiagnosis,” Darrell added.
He has also written a book called Straight Red?, which is about keeping hope even when the odds are low.
“This is a message not just for cancer but for life,” the parent said.
“This cancer stuff sucks, right? I wouldn’t wish for it and I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. It’s harsh.
“But I have found positives. It’s certainly made me spent my time in a much better way than I did before, and I love that.”
Synovial sarcoma usually develops in cells around joints and tendons.
It can occur anywhere in the body, but it is most common in the arms and legs, such as in the knee or elbow.
Symptoms can be vague, but a lump or swelling in the soft tissue of the body under the skin, is common.
This tends to be slow-growing and painful, but it is not always.
Synovial sarcoma is rare, with about 79 cases diagnosed every year in England.
It makes up about two per cent of all soft tissue sarcomas, and about 0.03 per cent of all cancers.
Source: Sarcoma UK
He added: “I’m really fortunate to have a great support network around me. I have friends and family that are there for me, for my wife, for the kids.
“They get that we just want to be treated normally and want to know about their problems too.
“People have been telling me that I’ve been so resilient and positive, so why would I not want to share that with other people?
“We have a long time or we may have a short time [left], but that’s not a reason not to enjoy it or make the best of it.
“Wear that really nice perfume or aftershave that you never use because you’re keeping it for special occasions. It’s a bit of a waste. Enjoy it.
“I enjoy my kids doing face painting on me. That connection with them and seeing them smile is amazing.”
All profits from the book, sold on Amazon, are going to Sarcoma UK “to help fight this horrendous disease”.
Andy French, policy and public affairs manager at the charity, said: “Darrell’s story underscores how important it is for people with sarcoma to get an early diagnosis.
“And Darrell’s right when he says that people working in the NHS need training in sarcoma.
“That’s why at Sarcoma UK, we’ve worked with our partners to develop an online, accredited training module for GPs, an e-learning module for physiotherapists, and a video for medical students and junior doctors.
“These resources are aimed at helping healthcare professionals to better recognise the signs and symptoms of sarcoma, addressing the exact concerns Darrell has raised.
“By giving healthcare professionals the right skills and knowledge, we are aiming to prevent people with sarcoma from being misdiagnosed; so that they can instead get an early diagnosis and fast access to treatment.
“This initiative, alongside our continued investment in research and support services, marks a significant step forward in our mission to ensure that everyone affected by sarcoma receives the best treatment, care, information and support available and to create the treatments of the future.”
One in three people wait over six months to be diagnosed with sarcoma.
