Myeloma: Awareness push after family's double diagnosis

A woman from Cornwall has run a marathon to raise awareness of incurable blood cancer.

Hannah Pearce, from Liskeard, was diagnosed with myeloma in 2020 - three years after her father Neil was diagnosed with the same illness.

She raised more than £2,800 for Myeloma UK after competing in the Edinburgh Marathon on Sunday.

The charity said the cancer, which occurs in the bone marrow, affects more than 24,000 people in the UK.

It said it is often misdiagnosed because symptoms - which include back pain, easily broken bones, fatigue and recurring infection - are often associated with ageing or other minor conditions.

Mr Pearce, 77, from Looe, is on his last round of available chemotherapy after the cancer returned for the third time in five years.

Ms Pearce, who has responded well to treatment, said: "We both had to wait to get a diagnosis and you can't help but wonder 'what if?'. What if [we] had both had an earlier diagnosis, would it have changed the outcome or the amount of years we will have with our families?"

She ran the marathon with partner Clyve Ugalde to raise money for research into the illness.

"It was hot and tough at times," she said after the race.

"However, the wonderful support we have had kept us mentally and physically going.

"It was an emotional phone call back to my dad in Looe but knowing the money we have raised will go towards funding research into new treatments makes every step worthwhile."

Myeloma UK said the illness was treatable in the majority of cases despite there being no known cure.

"Treatment is aimed at controlling the disease, relieving the complications and symptoms it causes, and extending and improving patients' quality of life," it said.

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