Latest news with #AlastairMuir
Edinburgh Live
15-05-2025
- Health
- Edinburgh Live
Scottish grandad who thought he had verruca diagnosed with stage four cancer
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A retired Scottish doctor received a shock diagnosis when he was told what he thought was a verruca was actually skin cancer- which has now progressed to stage four. Alastair Muir, 63, first noticed the skin coloured lesion on his heel in 2018 but thought it was a wart or verruca and went to have it frozen off. The grandad-of-one said he had never even considered the lump could have been melanoma because it didn't present any of the normal symptoms, reports The Daily Record. But, later that year, a dermatologist biopsied the lesion and revealed what Alastair thought was a harmless little wart, was in fact cancer. He went through numerous surgeries to remove the lesion and spent a total of three months on crutches. He said: "I thought it was a verruca, and a colleague agreed and froze it off for me. I had never even considered that it was a potential melanoma. "When the biopsy results came back everyone was surprised. I was very shocked. It really wasn't something that I had expected." (Image: Alastair Muir / SWNS) In 2023, things took a turn for the worse when Alastair began to have problems with his vision including night blindness. Doctors originally suspected this was multiple sclerosis, but it turned out to be the rare condition melanoma associated retinopathy. This is an autoimmune response where antiretinal antibodies attack the eyes, which can lead to permanent blindness. Alastair added: "It is something that I had never heard of even as a doctor. Being told I could go blind was a bigger and more frightening experience than being diagnosed with cancer." He then began on plasma exchange treatment, where blood is filtered to remove the antibodies, which is still being administered alongside steroids. So far, the treatment has been working well, and Alastair says it is "almost as if I was back to normal." Unfortunately, later that year, the cancer spread to his lymph nodes at the top of his leg and pelvis - so further surgeries were required to remove them. The cancer continued to spread, and it was later revealed it was stage four - with Alastair being told he may only live for up to five years. The dad-of-two said: "It was essentially a death sentence. "It is fascinating going from being a doctor to a patient. You can never imagine what it is like to be told that you have got cancer which is spreading, and you might go blind. "It gave everybody a bit of a fright, I think. It becomes all consuming. It is all you can think about but at the same time you don't want to talk about it. "All of a sudden people drop out of your life. It can be very lonely and quite difficult." (Image: Alastair Muir / SWNS) But, things are starting to look up as Alastair has been started on immunotherapy, which studies suggest could double his chances of survival to ten years. The treatment is not without risk, as it may undo the progress on his eyes and cause him to go blind, but he says that so far it is going really well. Alastair also said he has had great support from his wife Moira, as well as his neighbours who often help drive him to appointments. Now, the grandad is trying to give back to those who helped him by participating in Scottish cyclist Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 charity cycle event on Sunday, September 7th in Glasgow. He will be doing his cycle on a fixed bike in the centre of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, due to his impaired eyesight, for up to 20 minutes depending on his health. The sponsored cycle will be raising money for the Melanoma-Me Foundation, which he says really supported him through tough times. He also hopes to raise awareness for the strange ways in which skin cancer can present itself- encouraging others to go get checked. So far, the GoFundMe page has raised £270. Alastair added: "I think the presentation was quite unusual. Most people associate melanoma with pigmented moles that change or grow. It is important for people to know that it doesn't always present that way. "I think people need to be aware that if you have anything on your skin that is different or changing then it is very worthwhile getting it checked out. "When Chris Hoy spoke about his cancer, I was very shocked because he is the greatest ever Olympian- clearly a sporting hero. He has a lifestyle that you wouldn't associate with ill health of any kind. It touched most people's hearts. It was inspiring that he reached out to help others. I wanted to be able to do the same." The event host and six-time gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy announced in February last year that he had been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer which is terminal. The sports star says that his charity cycle is to change perceptions around stage four cancer, as well as raise money for vital charities.
Daily Mail
15-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
GP with terminal skin cancer issues stark warning - the symptoms aren't always what you think
A doctor has warned the public to pay attention to any change to their skin, even if it doesn't involve a mole, after he was dealt a shock diagnosis of deadly skin cancer that has since spread to his leg and pelvis. Alastair Muir, 63, noticed a skin-coloured lesion on his heel back in 2018 and suspected that it was a wart or verruca, and attempted to have it frozen off. But a biopsy taken later that year revealed the devastating truth; it was in fact melanoma — the deadliest type of skin cancer. 'Most people associate melanoma with pigmented moles that change or grow,' said the grandfather from Kinross, Scotland. 'It is important for people to know that it doesn't always present that way. 'I think people need to be aware that if you have anything on your skin that is different or changing then it is very worthwhile getting it checked out.' It took several surgeries to remove the growth from his foot, resulting in months spent on crutches. Mr Muir was free from the disease for three years, until his health took a turn for the worst in early 2023. He began to suffer unusual problems with his vision, including night blindness. Doctors originally suspected this could be multiple sclerosis, but further tests confirmed it was in fact a rare condition called melanoma associated retinopathy. This is a uncommon complication of skin cancer whereby the disease triggers an autoimmune response telling the body's fighter proteins to attack the eyes. In many cases, the condition can lead to permanent blindness. Despite his extensive medical experience, the GP said he'd 'never heard' of the complication. 'Being told that I could go blind was a bigger and more frightening experience than being diagnosed with cancer,' he said. He then began on a treatment known as plasma exchange, where blood is filtered to remove the harmful proteins, which is still being administered alongside steroids. So far, the treatment has been working well to improve his sight. However, later that year scans revealed that the cancer spread to his lymph nodes at the top of his leg and his pelvis. Further surgeries to remove the disease proved unsuccesful, with the cancer continuing to spread. At the end of 2023 doctors told Dr Muir that he had less than five years to live. 'It was essentially a death sentence,' he said. Studies show that around two thirds of people with late stage melanoma will not survive longer than five years. Speaking of his transition from doctor to patient Dr Muir said: 'It is fascinating. You can never imagine what it is like to be told that you have got cancer which is spreading, and you might go blind. 'It gave everybody a bit of a fright, I think. It becomes all consuming. It is all you can think about but at the same time you don't want to talk about it. 'All of a sudden people drop out of your life. It can be very lonely and quite difficult.' Things may be starting to look up, however. Dr Muir has been offered a modern type of cancer treatment called immunotherapy, which studies suggest could double his chances of surviving up to ten years. The treatment is not without risk, as it may undo the progress made on his sight, but so far, the therapy appears to be going well. Now, he aims to give back to those who helped him by participating in Sir Chris Hoy's Tour de 4 charity cycle event on Sunday, September 7th in Glasgow. He will be doing his cycle on a fixed bike in the centre of the Sir Chris Hoy Veladrome, due to his impaired eyesight, for up to 20 minutes. The sponsored cycle will raise money for the Melanoma-Me Foundation. 'When Chris Hoy spoke about his cancer I was very shocked because he is the greatest ever Olympian and has a lifestyle you wouldn't associate with ill health of any kind,' he said. 'It was inspiring that he reached out to help others. I want to be able to do the same.' Six-time gold medallist Sir Chris Hoy announced in February last year that he had been diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer which is terminal. The sports star said his charity cycle aims to change perceptions around stage four cancer, as well as raise money for vital charities.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Review: Silliness and slapstick make 39 Steps at Octagon a fun night out
If you go along expecting a tense thriller along the lines of the classic Hitchcock movie you're going to be sorely disappointed and more than a little confused. For this adaptation of John Buchan's novel by Patrick Barlow is an unashamedly silly romp full of cracking visual gags and a cast of four who work their socks off. For anyone with a knowledge of the original, the story is pretty much the same. The suave Richard Hannay shelters a mystery woman who is murdered at his flat but not before putting him on the trail of a gang of spies out to steal vital British secrets. The cast of The 39 Steps (Picture: Alastair Muir)From there on it's a helter-skelter chase which is part slapstick and part farce as our hero, wanted for a murder he didn't commit, tries to expose the fiendish plot. It does take a little while to get going and in the second half the pace dropped slightly for a time but when the cast were firing on all cylinders it was a joy to behold. Mateo Oxley was suitably dashing as Richard Hannay and had a good line in knowing looks to the audience when the absurdity kicked in. Mei Mei MacLeod, playing a spy, a crofter's wife and Hannay's ultimate love interest Pamela, was pulled off all three roles with aplomb. But it was the the comedy pairing of Danielle Bird and Phil Yarrow who were the real stars of the show. Playing everything from hapless policemen - more Keystone Cops than Scotland Yard - to eccentric hoteliers who wouldn't have been out of place in The League of Gentlemen, they stole every scene. Phil Yarrow and Danielle Bird in The 39 Steps (Picture: Alastair Muir)Operating at a frenetic pace their comic timing was superb and really the key to the play's success. There were some wonderfully observed comedy moments reminiscent of the silent films and an aerial scene that was pure Wallace and Gromit. A word too for the impressive staging. Embrace the silliness, admire the comic timing and you're going to have a fun night out. Until Saturday, May 10. Details from
