Cancer nightmare of patients wrongly diagnosed or labelled as time-wasters

Studies show up to 10,000 people in the UK die every year as a result of late cancer diagnosis.

And survival rates for almost all common cancers are worse in Britain than the European average. The situation is so severe the UK Government is threatening to name and shame GPs who repeatedly fail to spot crucial signs.

Last week we told how Davie Robertson had to attend 11 appointments before medics told him he had cancer. By the time he was diagnosed it was too late and now he has just three months to live.

Since then we’ve been inundated with calls from cancer patients and their families who have experienced similar issues.

The callers or the relatives on behalf of whom people contacted us made countless visits to GP surgeries and hospitals, convinced they were seriously ill. But each of them was told they had nothing more than a common illness.

Some were advised they were not a priority, or were wasting their doctor’s time time which could be better spent helping genuinely sick people.

It was only after pushing for further investigations that cancer came to light. For others, delays in tests meant it was too late for treatment. By telling their stories, these people hope changes can be made to save others from a similar fate.

Brian told to eat baby food

Grieving mum Florence Hutton watched her son die in agony and hopes nobody else has to go through the same.

Brian Haining visited his doctor on numerous occasions with a sore throat. Time and time again, he was told by GPs he had a chest infection.

He eventually died after a seven-and-a-half-inch terminal tumour was found in his oesophagus.

“Brian was a strong young man, all muscle, weighing 16 stone,” Florence said. “By the time he died, he was just three stone. When he said he couldn’t swallow, the doctor told him to buy tins of baby food and go away and stop wasting time needed for sick patients.

“When he couldn’t take the pain any longer, he admitted himself to hospital. They put a scope down his throat, but accidentally perforated his oesophagus during the procedure.

“When they opened him up to repair the damage, they found a massive tumour. By then, the cancer was too far gone to treat. I nursed him until he died 18 months later, aged just 41.”

Grandmother Florence, from Dumbarton, added: “I appreciate mistakes can be made and I don’t expect doctors to be perfect and get it right every time, but if they had sent my son for a scan in the beginning, he may still be here.

“They say scans are expensive, but if it can save a life, I don’t think it should be optional. For eight years, I’ve been wondering if a scan could have saved my son.”

Joseph pleaded for tests but was just sent home with more pills

For six weeks, Joseph McKinnon was told by his GP he had nothing more than food poisoning. But just three weeks ago, he received the devastating news that he had terminal oesophageal cancer and possibly just two months left to live.

His mum, Pamela, is waiting by her desperately ill son’s bedside at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness for news. Brother Tony, 54, has flown over from the US to be with his sibling in his final few weeks.

Pamela, 75, who lives in London, said: “Joseph couldn’t keep anything down. He had terrible diarrhoea and vomiting. For six weeks the doctor told him it was food poisoning and, when he kept going back, prescribed different antibiotics and gave him injections. I think he had three or four different types of tablets.

“On several occasions, Joseph took himself to A&E and pleaded for tests, but was just sent home with more pills. Between his GP and hospital, he must have seen a doctor eight times. The last time, Joseph said he was desperately ill and was eventually taken seriously.”

By that point, the 50-year-old’s weight had plummeted by six stone. Doctors carried out an endoscopy and found a tumour in his oesophagus. They told Joseph and his family that it was terminal and he had just weeks to live.

“It’s so upsetting and I’m angry that Joseph wasn’t sent for tests sooner especially as his father, Neil, died from oesophageal cancer 10 years ago,” Pamela said. “That was even more reason to investigate further. But Joseph was duffed off. The doctors said he was wasting their time.”

Joseph, who moved to Scotland 10 years ago, has resigned himself to a bleak prognosis. He’s opted not to have chemotherapy, as he still remembers his dad going through the gruelling treatment.

Doctors want to move him to a hospice for palliative care, but it’s Joseph’s wish to die in the comfort of his home in Inverness.

“If Joseph had been sent for tests initially, I have no doubt that the cancer wouldn’t be as aggressive as it is now,” Pamela said. “But he didn’t get that opportunity so we’ll never know if he could have been treated successfully.”

Internet advice was ignored

When Linda Gordon suspected she had cancer, she begged her GP to send her to hospital. But it took three months for her to get a scan which showed she had lung cancer, as well as tumours all over her body.

Mum-of-three Linda, 55, from Aberdeen, complained to her doctor of a sore shoulder at the end of 2012. She was prescribed strong painkillers. When she lost her appetite and was doubled over with stomach pain, she made further appointments. But the former hospital domestic worker was advised she couldn’t eat because she was depressed.

Despite repeated pleas by Linda, her GP failed to refer her for tests.

“My youngest son John had looked up my symptoms on the internet and said it looked like I had cancer,” Linda said. “I told the doctor this and he said he wouldn’t rule it out but still wouldn’t send me for tests, Apparently I wasn’t a priority.”

When her eldest son Graeme Moir realised how much his mother was deteriorating, he took her to hospital. Tests revealed Linda received the news she had lung cancer, two tumours in her pituitary gland and two in her neck. A fortnight later, a further two masses were discovered in her spine.

After radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Linda’s tumours shrunk but just weeks ago she learned that the cancer had returned and spread to her kidneys.

“It makes me angry that I had a genuine concern and that my GP didn’t seem interested in referring me to investigate the possibility of cancer,” she said.

Dr Jean Turner, director of Scotland Patients Association, says it’s an all-too-familiar complaint.

“It’s tragic this is happening, but I’m not surprised,” she said. “Doctors can be reluctant to refer patients for testing for fear of inundating consultants unnecessarily, and there are often certain boxes that need to be ticked. But if there is any suspicion of cancer, it’s better to make the referral and rule it out.

“GPs should know their patients and act accordingly. If a patient is concerned, they should check medical histories and arrange for tests. There is a tendency for inexperienced GPs to feel rushed and zip through 10 minute appointments, but they must take the time to consider all possibilities.

“They can’t be right 100% of the time, but when a patient is repeatedly coming back with the same problem, questions need to be asked.”

Elspeth Atkinson, director of Macmillan Cancer Support in Scotland:

We know early diagnosis and treatment creates the best outcomes for cancer patients. The earlier people are diagnosed, the sooner they can be treated and the better their longer-term survival.

The Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early programme raises awareness of the national cancer screening programmes and the early signs of cancer to encourage people to seek help early. However, GPs clearly need more support to improve the referral process and access resources to help spot cancer signs.

We’re working with GPs to help to identify symptoms that might be cancer so more people can be diagnosed at the earliest possible stage. We are also delivering GP Practice Nurse Courses across Scotland to up-skill nurses in all aspects of cancer care which includes early detection.

Dr John Gillies, chairman, Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland:

Timely diagnosis of cancer is a priority for the RCGP and we are working hard to support GPs so that they can identify signs of cancer as early as possible so that patients can receive the care they need at every stage of their condition.

The average full-time GP will see approximately eight new cases of cancer in their average 8,000 patient consultations per year. On the whole, GPs across the UK are doing an excellent job of referring our patients that we suspect of having cancer; 75% of patients found to have cancer are referred after only one or two GP consultations. The number of people diagnosed with cancer in Scotland is about 30,000 per annum. This is predicted to rise to 35,000 by 2020, in part due to our ageing population.

As GPs, we know cancer also puts strain on families, so we also support Cancer Research UK’s ‘Coping with Cancer’, which has a lot of information for patients and relatives. Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early programme, is also supported by RCGP Scotland.