Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson claims that Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from a form of bone cancer at the time of her death.
It comes as the controversial politician is set to release his new memoir which he says tells “the unfiltered truth” about Brexit and the conservative party. Titled Unleashed, he also discuses the late Queen’s health prior to her passing.
The Daily Mail reports that he recalls his final meeting with the monarch, stating he had been aware of her condition for some time.
“I had known for a year or more that she had a form of bone cancer, and her doctors were worried that at any time she could enter a sharp decline,” the excerpt says.
“She seemed pale and more stooped,” he continues, “and she had dark bruising on her hands and wrists, probably from drips or injections.”
Others believed the late Queen was suffering from myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, which is a type of bone marrow cancer. Myeloma starts in the body’s plasma cells, which are a kind of white blood cell that helps fight infection, and causes tumours to form in the bone marrow.
This can lead to symptoms such as bone pain, weakness, and an increased risk of infections. Sadly, myeloma is usually incurable.
Queen Elizabeth II died on September 8, 2022, at 3.10pm, aged 96. The royal household has never confirmed her diagnosis and ‘old age’ was cited as her cause of death.
Former PM Boris Johnson isn’t the only well-known figure to claim that Queen Elizabeth II was suffering from bone cancer at the time of her death.
Gyles Brandreth, who wrote the biography Elizabeth: An Intimate Portrait, previously told the Daily Mail that she had a type of bone marrow cancer.
He wrote: “I had heard that the Queen had a form of myeloma — bone marrow cancer — which would explain her tiredness and weight loss and those ‘mobility issues’ we were often told about during the last year or so of her life.”
Read below to learn more about myeloma and its warning signs.
Myeloma symptoms
The symptoms of myeloma can be very subtle and easily missed, so it’s very important to be aware of the warning signs. Age is considered a major risk factor for the disease with people in their late 80s most likely to be diagnosed.
According to Cancer Research UK, the main signs and symptoms of myeloma are:
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bone pain – often in your back, hips, shoulders or ribs
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broken bones (fractures) as bones break more easily
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tiredness (fatigue), shortness of breath and weakness – these are symptoms of low red blood cells (anaemia)
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pain, changes in sensation or weakness – these are symptoms of spinal cord compression
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lots of infections or infections that don’t go away
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feeling thirsty, passing urine more frequently, confusion and drowsiness – these are all symptoms of high calcium levels in the blood
Patients with myeloma mostly describe the pain as dull or aching. It is often felt in the lower back or ribs.
Unfortunately, myeloma usually can’t be cured, but the NHS make it clear that many treatment options are available. They explain that the initial treatment for multiple myeloma may be either:
- non-intensive – for older or less fit patients (this is more common)
- intensive – for younger or fitter patients
Both non-intensive and intensive treatments involve taking a combination of anti-myeloma medicines.
But intensive treatment involves higher doses and is followed by a stem cell transplant.
The medicines usually include a chemotherapy medicine, a steroid medicine, and one or more of thalidomide, bortezomib and daratumumab.
The charity Myeloma UK also have a helpline to offer advice to anyone currently affected by myeloma, or their carers: 0800 980 3332. You can also email a nurse about your symptoms, or speak to a “peer buddy” for support, all through its website.
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