A woman claims medics dismissed her mum's cancer as "stress" and "fobbed her off" when she was displaying early symptoms of a brain tumour. Frankie Davies, 29, believes her mum, Sue, 54, might still be alive if she had been taken seriously early on.
Mum-of-seven Sue, 54, passed away in May 2020 - after being diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour in January 2020. She had been showing 'tell-tale' symptoms - including nausea, severe headaches and reduced mobility - in the two years leading up to her diagnosis.
Over the next 12 months, Sue made four trips to her GP only to be sent home after being told she was suffering from stress and felt "fobbed off". Sue went to the hospital on one occasion thinking she had a stroke - but was discharged without a scan.
In January 2020, Sue went back to the hospital for a CT scan after she collapsed and was told she had an inoperable brain tumour. Sue got told to 'go and spend time with her family' and died four months later in May 2020.
Her family believe it could have been identified much sooner if their mother had been diagnosed when the symptoms first showed. Frankie thinks the delayed diagnosis prevented her mum from accessing treatment that could have possibly saved her.
Frankie, who works at a university, from Clapham, London, said: "Had she been taken seriously when she started to present her symptoms we would have likely had more time with her. She may have been able to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy and maybe even surgery to remove the tumour.
"Sadly, at the point of diagnosis, her tumour was inoperable. I believe that she wasn’t taken seriously due to her background and for being stereotyped - as a lower class, council estate individual, who smoked and probably lived a stressful lifestyle.
"The pandemic prevented her from starting chemotherapy as her first scheduled session was cancelled because she had a cough, so they told her not to come in. A week later she had a seizure and went downhill from that point onwards.
"As a family, we feel really let down. We have lost the biggest piece of the puzzle. She has left behind seven children and one grandchild and has already missed really big events in our lives since she died - such as my university graduation and engagement."
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Sue began experiencing symptoms in late 2018 - when she started suffering from bad memory. As time went on, she got severe headaches and her family started to notice a change in her.
Frankie said: "As someone who had always suffered from migraines, it was not alarming, to begin with. However, as time went on there were days where she would have to stay in bed in a dark room as they were so bad.
"She had seen a doctor about this who had linked her symptoms to stress. The symptoms did not improve and the headaches began to get worse. She was constantly being sick.
"She was sleeping a lot and she started to struggle to walk. I sent her to the doctors again and she was sent away. She was told it was stress and given stretches to help with her mobility issues."
Frankie said that this was "frustrating" for the family as they all saw something was wrong and her concerns were "ignored". In the space of a year, Sue made four trips to her GP and went to the hospital on one occasion thinking she had a stroke.
Frankie added: "She was not made comfortable enough to feel like she could push for more support and answers. After being dismissed several times she had lost hope and confidence in the doctors.
"It wasn’t until January 2020, when she collapsed at home and was taken to the hospital again, where they discovered the mass on her brain after a CT scan."
Sue was sent home that same day and told to “go and be with her family”. Frankie feels strongly that her mum’s delayed diagnosis prevented her from accessing treatment and robbed her of time with her family.
Sue only lived for four months following diagnosis and died in May 2020 - aged just 54. Research from the Brain Tumour Charity shows one in 10 Brits are waiting more than 12 months for a brain tumour diagnosis.
Frankie said: “From my experience, I have been able to see the impact brain tumours have on a person and the people that love them. When someone is diagnosed with a high-grade tumour, the outcome is rarely good.
"Because they are less common than other cancers, I feel people do not have enough awareness about them, or their signs and symptoms, which is a tragedy. I never want anyone to go through what we did, as it was the most painful experience that we live with the burden of every day.
"The sad reality is that her death gave us peace, as the suffering she experienced before and after she was diagnosed was unbearable to witness.”
Graham Norton, interim CEO at the Brain Tumour Charity, said: “It is absolutely essential that those facing a brain tumour diagnosis are able to access the support they so desperately need to ensure a faster diagnosis. Those in our community all too often have to wait an unacceptable length of time for their diagnosis and this has an impact on their treatment options, quality of life and on their loved ones.
“As a charity, we are campaigning for faster diagnosis because we know this is one of the best ways to support those affected by a brain tumour. A faster diagnosis has the potential to improve access to the available treatment options and in some cases could reduce the impact that a brain tumour has on a person’s quality of life.
“We want those affected by a brain tumour to feel seen and heard, and receive the support they need throughout their diagnosis and treatment."
