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.
Alastair Muir never expected the lesion on his foot to be cancerous, despite his experience as a GP. Pictured here with his two children and wife, Moira.
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.
Although doctors have given him roughly five years to live, a new immunotherapy treatment could double his prognosis.
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.’
Mr Muir will be taking part in a charity cycle set up by Olympian Chris Hoy, who suffers stage four prostate cancer
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.
