I felt like I was getting electric shocks then found out it was cancer

“I’m still aware of it in the tips of my fingers and toes but it doesn’t go up my legs and down my arms now.

“If I’m not feeling well or if I have a virus or a cold it comes back a bit.

“It feels like I have burnt fingers, I have that permanently all the time now.”

Dr Sophie Castell, chief executive at Myeloma UK, said that despite being the third most common type of blood cancer, myeloma was frequently missed.

That is because its symptoms, including back pain, easily broken bones, fatigue and recurring infection, are vague and often linked to general ageing or minor conditions.

“Every day counts while you’re waiting for a diagnosis, and yet a third of patients visit their GP at least three times before being diagnosed,” she said.

“One of the biggest barriers remains identifying the symptoms quickly and before too much damage is done.

“We know that doctors and patients can use very different language to describe the same symptoms.”