Sir Chris Hoy, one of Scotland and Britain’s greatest cyclists and Olympians, has announced that his cancer is terminal. He was given a diagnosis last year that he has two to four years left to live, and revealed the news on Sunday.
A tumour was found in Sir Chris’s shoulder and a second scan found primary cancer in his prostate, which has metastasised to his bones. Tumours have also been found in his shoulder, pelvis, hip, spine and rib and he has been told it is incurable.
Sir Chris and his lawyer wife Sarra have two children, seven-year-old Chloe and 10-year-old Callum.
He recalls Callum, who was then aged nine, asking if he was going to die. Sir Chris told him that no-one lives forever, but he hoped, thanks to the medicine, “to be here for many, many years”.
Despite having a very high pain threshold, he has had a violent allergic reaction to the chemotherapy. Some weeks before his cancer diagnosis, his wife Sarra had tests on a tingling sensation in her face and tongue.
Then just before Christmas it was confirmed she had multiple sclerosis (MS) that was “very active and aggressive” and needed urgent treatment. The couple have not told their children about Sarra’s MS diagnosis.
Bone cancer can have many symptoms, including:
- Pain : A constant pain in the bone or joint that worsens over time, especially at night or during activity. The pain might be felt in a different part of the body from where the tumor is, which is called referred pain.
- Swelling : Swelling or redness around the bone, which can make it difficult to move the joint.
- Lump : A noticeable lump over the bone that may have grown rapidly.
- Fractures : A weakened bone that breaks more easily than normal, even after a minor fall or accident.
- Reduced movement : Difficulty moving around, or walking with a limp.
Other symptoms : Unexplained weight loss, tiredness, high temperature, night sweats, or loss of feeling in the affected limb.
Bone cancer can affect any bone, but most cases develop in the long bones of the legs or upper arms. Many of the symptoms are similar to everyday aches and pains, so they can be mistaken for other things
Prostate cancer often doesn’t cause symptoms until it’s grown large enough to put pressure on the urethra. When symptoms do occur, they can include:
- Urination issues : Difficulty starting to urinate, a weak or interrupted flow, or the need to urinate more frequently, especially at night
- Pain : Pain or burning during urination, or pain in the back, hips, or pelvis that doesn’t go away
- Blood : Blood in the urine or semen
- Ejaculation : Painful ejaculation
If cancer has spread to the bone, the most common symptom is bone pain, which can be a dull ache or stabbing pain. The pain can wake you up at night, and your bones might become weaker and more likely to break.
Prostate cancer usually develops slowly, so there may be no signs for many years. Screenings can help catch prostate cancer early.