Steve Tostdevine was the ‘fittest 77-year-old you could meet’ but within weeks of discovering a small lump on his thigh, the former pub owner was gone. His rapid decline left his widow, June, reeling from the shocking loss and determined to raise awareness about the rare and deadly cancer that took her husband’s life.
Born in London, Steve had run pubs and clubs all his life. He and June had been together for 30 years – married for 14 – and the grandfather was enjoying retirement in Tyneside.
Described by June as ‘the life and soul of every party’, Steve’s health went rapidly downhill from May 2023. It was then that he started feeling an ache in his leg and noticed a lump on his thigh.
‘He also felt really tired,’ said June, which was unlike Steve as he used to walk miles with his dog every day. ‘He had a lump at the top of his thigh and I told him to go to the GP.’
Steve was told it was likely to be a muscle strain or hernia. But he also came to be very fatigued and was spending almost all day in bed. Steve had a blood test and was told by medics he had an infection. The lump on his thigh had also grown.
On June 9, he was admitted to emergency care. Within four days he had lost three stone, said June, and the lump on his thigh was still getting bigger.
June was told that Steve’s scans meant it was likely he had sarcoma. The scans were sent to a cancer specialist for analysis.
Steve then had a biopsy the following week. While they waited for the results, after a week in hospital, June was asked to take Steve home.
June and other family members did their best to care for Steve at home in Hebburn but he had terrible back pain and wasn’t eating or drinking. Steve’s medication was increased but little seemed to help.
On the night of Sunday 25 June, June said: ‘Steve was screaming in pain and his stomach was rock hard. He had no feeling from the waist down and we had to take him to the bathroom to wash him.’
The next morning, June demanded her GP visit him and admits she lost her temper. ‘I’ll wheel the bed down, he’s dying in front of me,’ she told the practice.
A doctor did visit and realised the seriousness of Steve’s condition – she broke the horrifying news to June that her husband did not have long to live. Palliative care nurses were sent to care for him but Steve died 11 days after he had returned home.
June said: ‘Steve should have had palliative care for those 11 days he was at home, so at least we could have had some quality time with him.’
The final cruel twist in this story came on the day of Steve’s funeral – June was told by the hospital that his cancer had been diagnosed. He had liposarcoma. Liposarcoma develops from fat cells and can occur anywhere throughout the body. There are an average of 454 cases of liposarcoma diagnosed every year in England.
June, who is 62, admits Steve’s tragic death has changed her. She said: ‘I’m not the same person I was before all this. I’m on antidepressants now. I couldn’t stay alone in the house we had lived in and spent five months with my daughters.’ June has now moved to a flat in Jarrow.
She has also complained to the health ombudsman about aspects of Steve’s care.
June is now trying to channel her grief into something positive. She will participate in the Great North Run on 8 September with a team of seven other family and friends to raise funds for the charity Sarcoma UK.
‘I want to raise awareness of sarcoma – I’d never heard of it before this. If anyone finds a lump, they need to get it checked out. If Steve had been diagnosed earlier, then maybe he would have had a chance.’
Kerry Reeves-Kneip, Sarcoma UK’s Director of Fundraising and Communications, said: ‘It is so shocking how quickly Steve’s health deteriorated after his lump was discovered and reinforces the message that speedy diagnosis is so important when it comes to sarcoma. We are so grateful that June and her family and friends have decided to raise funds for Sarcoma UK – every penny will help others in a similar situation and support research that seeks to combat this terrible disease.’
To donate to June, go to https://www.justgiving.com/page/june-tostdevine-1707294377373
