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Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
Suffering from thigh pain (he thought he had sciatica), a 17-year-old British boy was diagnosed with a serious health problem. Dr. Gérald Kierzek sheds light on this case and gives us his valuable advice when dealing with this type of pain.
The warning signs of illness are not always easy to detect, even for the most seasoned doctors. Proof of this is young Jake Spencer. The 17-year-old teenager began to feel strange pains in his thigh, following which the doctor diagnosed him with sciatica. However, what he was really suffering from was much more serious… Discover Dr. Kierzek’s insight on the abnormal signs that should worry you.
Sciatica was actually a rare cancer
The young man confides in the The Daily Mailthat he was attending a driving course when the pain occurred in his left thigh. The doctors’ initial diagnosis: he suffers from sciatica and must take painkillers. However, even when following the doctor’s prescription, the pain persists.
He then had X-rays, physiotherapy and shock waves… Three years after the first symptoms, the pain still did not go away. New tests then revealed the tragedy: the young boy had a rare and aggressive cancer, called “synovial sarcoma”. This type of cancer attacks the soft tissues of the body.
When Jake is diagnosed, he is frustrated with the feeling that all this time “many signs and symptoms were missed” despite the expression of his pain. This had then given time for the disease to spread in his body. On the other hand, he recognizes above all having felt relief at the idea that “this pain is not only in his head” but there must be an explanation. So, in May 2020, he underwent an operation to remove the tumor.
A call for vigilance!
Despite the complications he suffered following his delayed diagnosis, the man, now 26, told the Daily Mail: “Despite losing some muscle and having ongoing orthopedic issues, I am truly grateful that the cancer was removed and I am remaining positive”.
If he is so keen to testify, it is not to blame the doctors who took so long to detect his tumour, but above all to invite people to watch for the signs. “It was very difficult to detect it because my tumor was very deep and there was no visible lump”.
Looking back, Jake considers himself lucky to have survived. He says: “In a way, I’m grateful that I had pain, because I’ve heard horror stories of people who never knew they had sarcoma until it was too late.”.
Signs to watch out for according to Dr. Gérald Kierzek
While sciatic nerve pain is common, there are some signs that should have caused doctors more concern and led them to perform additional tests, particularly an MRI. Here are the abnormal indicators, according to Doctissimo’s medical director:
- “Age: It’s a bit early to have sciatica at 17;
- Persistent pain, despite drug treatment (painkillers);
- Night pain: the inflammatory type, which wakes you up at night;
- Motor disorders such as weakness felt in the limb“.
If you are faced with one of these signs, you should not be satisfied with the simple diagnosis of sciatica and carry out other tests”, concludes Dr. Kierzek.
Slide: Misconceptions about cancer