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A Durham pharmacist completed the Great North Run for charity yesterday (September 7) after losing her thigh muscle to a rare form of cancer. 

Claire Humphries, a pharmacist practising in a GP surgery, was planning trips to India and South America when she noticed a lump near her groin roughly the size of an ostrich egg.

After her GP referred her for an ultrasound, the lump was diagnosed as myxoid liposarcoma - a rare cancer affecting 72 patients in the UK each year - and doctors at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle told her to cancel her travel plans as she began treatment. 

This involved 25 radiotherapy treatments to shrink the tumour followed by surgery that removed the cancer completely but left her without her sartorius muscle. 

Claire, who now has regular scans to check that the cancer has not returned, said: "You can't dwell on it too much, you have to be positive. 

"It feels like a black hole and that you might fall into it. Cancer is not the end of the world now and you can live with it successfully."

Claire, whose young cousin died from a sarcoma six decades ago, wishes to raise awareness of the disease and of charity Sarcoma UK, whose support line advised her that chemotherapy was not the usual treatment for her condition after a healthcare professional had recommended it.

"They gave me the confidence to challenge this and told me to create an audit trail," she said. 

Helen Stradling, head of support at Sarcoma UK, commented: "We’re so pleased we could provide Claire with the information she needed to have informed discussions with her medical team. 

"Claire’s case highlights why our support line exists – to provide patients and families with access to specialist knowledge about sarcoma. 

"We never want to replace medical advice, but we can help people ask the right questions and understand their options. 

"Every patient deserves to feel confident about their treatment plan, and we’re here to help people navigate what can be a very complex and overwhelming time.

"Claire showed real courage in speaking up, and we’re delighted she got the treatment that was right for her specific cancer type. 

"Her decision to run for us in the Great North Run is incredibly inspiring and will help us continue supporting other patients facing similar challenges."

Related: Pharmacist to run London marathon in support of Elsie Dot Stancombe charity