Katrina Fox, 38, from Medway in Kent, England, first noticed a tiny pea‑sized bump on her scalp in September 2021. She and her coworkers jokingly named the growth “Bert,” assuming it was a harmless cyst.
Her general practitioner agreed it was likely benign and referred her to a dermatologist for removal. When the dermatologist cut into the lump in February 2022, the team was shocked to see a mass and a portion of Katrina’s brain protruding through a hole in her skull.
Diagnosis of a deadly blood cancer
Further testing revealed that the lump was a solitary plasmacytoma – a localized collection of abnormal plasma cells. A bone‑marrow biopsy confirmed an incurable form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma, which attacks bone tissue and had already created multiple lesions and holes in Katrina’s skull, including a three‑centimetre opening where the lump had been.
Doctors warned that without treatment she might not survive the year. Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the United Kingdom and the third leading cause of cancer death, with only one in three patients surviving the most aggressive types, according to Blood Cancer Research UK.
Treatment and outlook
Katrina underwent six rounds of chemotherapy followed by a stem‑cell transplant in December 2022, and then additional chemotherapy. She now takes a maintenance chemotherapy tablet to keep the disease at bay. Her life expectancy has been extended to roughly ten years, a significant improvement over the one‑year prognosis she received initially.
“It’s been really hard adjusting to life with cancer,” Katrina said. “I get very fatigued and have bone pain, but I know I have to make the most of life while I can. I swim in the sea, taught myself crochet, and even visited Disney World with family.”
Advocacy and awareness
Reflecting on her experience, Katrina noted that she had visited her GP multiple times since age 28 for fatigue and rib pain, symptoms that were dismissed as a sprained rib or work‑related tiredness. Determined to prevent others from suffering similar delays, she now campaigns with Blood Cancer Research UK for increased funding into research and earlier detection.
“Myeloma is one of the harder‑to‑treat cancers, and what keeps me going is knowing that research might eventually save my life,” she explained. “My golf‑ball‑sized lump turned out to be sinister and revealed cancer eating my skull, but blood‑cancer signs aren’t always obvious. I want to raise awareness so others can get an early diagnosis.”
Gemma Trout, a senior nurse at Blood Cancer Research UK, emphasized the importance of vigilance: “There can be many reasons why someone develops a lump or swelling, and most won’t be cancer, but it’s important to speak to your GP about any unexplained changes, especially if they persist, grow, or change.” She added that nearly one in three people with blood cancer see their GP three or more times before a diagnosis is made.
Blood Cancer Research UK continues to fund research into kinder, more effective treatments. Katrina is also supporting the charity’s partnership with Omaze, which is offering a home in Yorkshire worth over £4 million plus £250,000 in cash, with proceeds directed toward blood‑cancer research.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
