Andrew Scott, a maths teacher from Falkirk, lost his leg to a rare sarcoma and says he would be dead if he hadn't sought private healthcare.
The Diagnosis
Andrew, once a healthy ultramarathon runner and weekly footballer, noticed hip pain after playing football in late 2023. A physio visit and an inconclusive X-ray failed to resolve the worsening pain. His GP told him he was not a priority for scans due to his young age, suggesting muscular problems or sciatica.
“I knew something was wrong with my hip. Every time I saw a doctor I was given a different painkiller, but nobody was getting to the bottom of what it was,” he said.
Frustrated by the delays, Andrew booked a private orthopaedic surgeon who referred him for a scan, revealing a tumour in his left hip. “If I had not paid for that appointment, the tumour would have been out of control and I could be dead now,” he said.
A biopsy in August 2024 confirmed sarcoma — just a month after he married Lindsay. His subtype was so rare it was not catalogued but treated as an osteosarcoma.
Surgery and Recovery
Chemotherapy began in October 2024. The following March, Andrew was told his left leg needed amputation because the tumour had started to grow into his spine. “I couldn’t believe it at first,” he said.
The surgery lasted 23 hours, and he spent months in hospital recovering. He was only truly pain-free in October last year. Emotional support came from a patient who had similar surgery and later became a parent. “He had still managed to live a full life, and I tried to take a positive attitude,” Andrew said after receiving care from the Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre.
He now uses a prosthetic limb but finds crutches easier. He is preparing to return to teaching at the start of the next academic year. His wife Lindsay and family were very supportive; he has also visited relatives in Antrim, Northern Ireland.
Support and Fundraising
Andrew has supported Sarcoma UK. In June, he completed a 10km Rare But Real fundraising walk at Bellahouston Park in Glasgow on crutches with ten friends, raising over £4,000.
Kerry Reeves-Kneip, Sarcoma UK's Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: "As we mark Sarcoma Awareness Month, Andrew's story reminds us of the very best of the human spirit and of why awareness of this disease matters so much. He ran ultramarathons.
"He is now preparing to return to teaching on crutches having lost his leg to a cancer that is notoriously difficult to identify because its symptoms so often resemble far more common conditions. That he has got to this point at all is a testament to his courage and determination and we are immensely proud of everything he has done to support Sarcoma UK, including raising over £4,000 at our Rare But Real Walk in Glasgow.
"His experience underlines why we continue to call for greater awareness of sarcoma among clinicians - the earlier this disease is caught, the better the outcome. We encourage health professionals to keep sarcoma in mind when a patient presents with persistent, worsening pain that isn't responding to treatment.
"Andrew wants his story to make a difference. So do we."
