Cancer so rare that science has only just caught up
Tony told he has incurable disease after years of surgeries on skull
A Washington man has been told he has an incurable cancer so rare that science has only just caught up to give him a diagnosis.
Tony Lucas was diagnosed with parosteal osteosaroma in May 2019 following years of major surgeries on his skull for a reoccurring lump growing above his eye.
Now his family hopes to raise awareness of the bone cancer, which is so rare only a handful of people in the world are believed to have it in the same form and place as Tony.
In 1992, the 54-year-old was first diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia - an uncommon bone disorder where scar-like tissue develops in place of normal bone – after an accidental knock to his head caused a lump to grow above his eye to the size of a golf ball.
Doctors then carried out a craniotomy, where he was cut from ear to ear, to remove the growth.
In 2008 the growth returned and Tony, who worked for Kitsons Insulation and Pentland, has undergone eight further operations.
Doctors initially diagnosed it as fibrous dysplasia then ossifying fibroma, but last May Tony was told he had parosteal osteosarcoma – which has now spread to the lung.
His cancer diagnosis was backdated to 2016 because tests at that time weren’t advanced enough to detect the cancer. The new technique showed the same results on the 2016 biopsy specimen.
Wife Vicky Lucas said: "Science is only just catching up with it because it is so rare. It’s such a new thing that it could have been there since day one.
"It’s either the science has caught up or it has changed to this over the years.”
Tony, who is dad to Johnny, 22 and step-dad to Sam Anderson, 29, underwent radiotherapy in February, although it wasn’t as successful as doctors had hoped, and will have chemotherapy in the future.
Vicky, 53, added: “When we found out it was pretty devastating, heartbreaking really.”
Now more than £1,000 has been donated to help support Tony through a fundraiser set up by step-daughter Sam, who is preparing to take on a zip line over Penrhyn Quarry in Wales this weekend.
The funds will go towards supporting Tony and to Bone Cancer Research.
Donate www.gofundme. com/f/lucas-angel