Young Edinburgh student's nagging knee pain turned out to be rare cancer

An Edinburgh student's knee pain turned out to be rare cancer that can develop in your cells around joints and tendons.

Hayley Kane, 24, from Fairmilehead had experienced issues with her knee for almost a decade, which worsened to a point where she was in constant pain and struggling to walk without crutches.

Eventually, she was sent for an x-ray which showed that she had what was initially presumed to be a benign tumour.

After being sent for surgery to remove it she was told that she actually had rare cancer called synovial sarcoma and that the tumour had likely only become cancerous recently.

Hayley was diagnosed in her third year of university and had to undergo gruelling radiation therapy, but she was still determined to finish her degree.

Hayley said: “I opted not to have chemotherapy due to the potential long-term effects on my health, and went on to have 12 weeks of radiotherapy to my knee.

"I underwent treatment throughout my third-year assessments and over Christmas, with it ending shortly before the next trimester began.

“There were times when I had to excuse myself from lectures to change the dressings on my knee due to the excessive fluid leaking from the burns on my leg, but thankfully my friends were always happy to help fill me in on anything I had missed.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE

Hayley had to have radiotherapy on the tumour. (Handout)

Hayley graduated with a first-class honours degree (Handout)

Incredibly, brave Hayley managed to graduate with a first-class honours degree in Animal and Conservation Biology from Edinburgh Napier University.

Luckily she is now in remission and is looking forward to studying in September with an MSc in Statistical Ecology at St Andrew's University.

Hayley said: “I’m thrilled to have completed my degree and I hope my experience will serve as inspiration to other students who may be struggling due to external factors.

“ It is possible to overcome hardships and achieve your goals as long as you are willing to work for it.”

“Since my treatment finished I have thankfully remained cancer-free and look forward to resuming my studies at St Andrews.”

Dr Gavin Ballantyne, lecturer in Edinburgh Napier’s School of Applied Sciences, said: "Hayley has done brilliantly at Edinburgh Napier. Not only has she overcome serious health issues, but she's also remained engaged, motivated and has produced an excellent final year project.

“We're so pleased to see her graduate with a first-class degree and now go on to start an MSc at St Andrews."