“Don't delay”: Oxford doctor's message as he diagnoses own son with rare sarcoma
Professor Dominic Furniss, a leading reconstructive surgeon at Oxford University Hospitals, found himself living every doctor's worst fear when he diagnosed his teenage son with a rare and aggressive cancer.
He, and Sarcoma UK, are urging people not to delay if they see symptoms, but to seek medical advice immediately.
The discovery, made during a family holiday, thrust the distinguished medical professional into an unexpected role – that of a terrified parent navigating the very system he's dedicated his career to serving.
Surprise diagnosis
Dr. Furniss, Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Oxford University Hospitals was on holiday with his family in Cornwall in October last year when his son, Jasper, then aged 17, asked him to look at a lump on his thigh. Straight away, Dr Furniss knew something was badly wrong.
“It was the worst moment of my life. It was a 7cm lump, looking like a large egg sticking out of his thigh, and it was deep. Immediately, I knew it was almost certainly sarcoma. I can’t remember what I said to Jasper, but I then went into the bathroom and burst into tears.”
By a twist of fate, Dr Furniss works at one of the largest sarcoma treatment centres in the UK and had worked with them for over two decades. Immediately he sent a text to a colleague explaining the situation and said “I really need your help”. The colleague replied within five minutes and arranged a scan and biopsy for later that week. Two weeks after finding the lump, Jasper was told he had myxoid liposarcoma. There are an average of just 72 cases of this sarcoma subtype diagnosed every year in England – less than 1% of all cancer diagnoses.
Jasper was diagnosed within 14 days and had successful surgery to remove the tumour four weeks and two days after the lump was found. Now in remission, he has made a remarkable recovery. He is even playing cricket.
Jasper’s mother Jenny said: “The period after Jasper’s lump was found was an absolute whirlwind. It felt totally overwhelming. For four weeks we had the knowledge that Jasper had this cancerous lump on his thigh, and the longer it sat there, the higher was the risk that the cancer could spread to other parts of his body.
“It was very strange for Dom to swap places in the consulting room, from the ‘doctor side’ to the ‘parent side’, with his close colleagues supporting him and treating our son.”
Support from Sarcoma UK
While Dr. Furniss was already an expert in sarcoma, Jenny was thankful for resources available on the website of charity Sarcoma UK to help her make sense of what had happened.
“For all of Dom’s knowledge, there were still gaps; things we didn’t know, didn’t understand and didn’t appreciate. And that is where the charity Sarcoma UK helped. We were given their leaflet at the very first appointment, and visited their website to find out information and get support when we needed it.”
July has been Sarcoma Awareness Month run by Sarcoma UK and the Furniss family have been endorsing the central message of this year’s campaign – ‘Don’t Delay’ – which is about the importance of early diagnosis.
Dom said: “I’m unbelievably grateful for having such amazing colleagues and I’m so grateful for the training I had which meant I knew what had to be done when I spotted Jasper’s sarcoma. The quicker people can get treatment when they find a lump, the better.”
Fundraising to support sarcoma sufferers
The Furniss family, including Jasper, are taking part in a cycle ride to raise funds for Sarcoma UK from their hometown of Oxford to Barcelona from 27 August to 6 September. They will be part of a team of 12 that includes some of Dr Furniss’ colleagues, who will be cycling to Spain.
Dr Furniss said: “Of course, not everyone is as fortunate as Jasper, and many people still die from sarcoma at a really young age. We want to support Sarcoma UK so that they can continue to be a trusted source of information for people in our situation, provide support for people in their darkest moments, and fund vital research into better treatments for sarcoma, giving everyone the chance for a good outcome like Jasper has had.”
Jasper said: “I really appreciate what Dad did for me and how lucky I was to be diagnosed and treated so quickly. It was a tough few months, trying to do my A levels as well, but I prioritised my health and getting back my fitness. With some great physio from the hospital and quite a lot of determination (and persuading my mum I could go for a run), I decided to do a really tough physical challenge and cycle from Oxford to Barcelona to raise money for Sarcoma UK. Their website was really useful and helped me. I have always cycled with my Dad and didn’t want my sarcoma to stop that.”
Sarcoma UK’s Chief Executive Richard Davidson said: "Dr. Furniss' experience vividly illustrates that sarcoma can affect anyone, anywhere, at any time. While his medical background provided a crucial advantage in early detection, it also highlights the urgent need for greater awareness among both the public and medical professionals. Jasper's story underscores our 'Don't Delay' campaign message - early diagnosis can be life-saving. At Sarcoma UK, we're committed to providing support and information to all those affected by sarcoma, whether they're medical experts or not. The Furniss family's fundraising efforts will help us continue this vital work, funding research and supporting those facing this rare and challenging cancer."
To donate to the appeal, go to Dominic Furniss is fundraising for Sarcoma UK (justgiving.com).