Undiagnosis of OVarian Cancer

[mitch152]

My mother had been in and out of hospital since September 2009, with abdominal pain, she was sent home having been told it was arthritis.  In January 2010 her stomach started to swell, still no one did anything.  She was admitted to the Princess Royal Hospital in Telford on 27 January 2010, she was always a petit size 12 and now looked as if she were carrying twins.  She was a very young 74 year old, very fit, active, still taught and sang in 3 choirs, organising events across Shropshire.  No one took any fluid for analysis for 2 weeks, she was only ever seen by trainee doctors who didnt know what they were doing.  Only when we complained was samples taken.  On the 13 February 2010 she was told she had ovarian cancer and that she would have to have chemo and then a full hysterectomy and she was sent home with tablets.  Three days later she was admitted to Shrewsbury Royal Hospital and we were told it was terminal and nothing could be done.  She passed away on 8 March 2010.  We are, as you can tell, as a family, angry, upset, devastated, my mother fought as best she could to the end, but it was all too far gone.  How can we take this further please, we believe that the hospital in Telford is at fault, for not even testing her in September 2009 when if it had been picked up then, she may still be with us, enjoying her life which she did so much.  3 weeks from diagnosis to death is not a nice thing to happen to anyone. Thank you, Karen (daughter)


This discussion is related to PRIMARY PERITONEAL CARCINOMA.

[Sue838383]

Hi Mitch,
So sorry for your loss. I unfortunately know the pain of loss of a mother and myself having ovarian cancer. Speaking as a nurse, you may be able to get some closure to events and decisions made by accessing your Mums medical notes under The Freedom of Information Act. You would do this by filling in a complaints form which all hospitals have or writing to the Medical Director of the said hospital. This would allow you, usually for a fee to sit with a Dr who will help you interpret the medical jargon and share the facts in a more graphic manner to help you understand what mums condition was really like and the severity of the cancer growth.
Unfortunately, the abdomen hides a multiude of sins, and cancer growths are insidious and do not always cause lots of continuous high grade pain. A person can have a large growth in their abodmen and not even know. The abdominal bloating may very well be the first sign that anything is wrong. By this stage a growth may have well spread and infiltrated other organs in the abdomen. Even if the Dr's had done surgery or something earlier, including chemotherapy; it is really hard work and really takes it out of you. Usually the criteria for chemo is to provide the patient with a better quality of life. It is feasable that Mum may not have been strong enough to withstand 6 months of chemo and the recovery of large surgery even at an earlier stage. However you can discuss this with the Dr who will assist you with the paper work.
Junior Dr's are always under the supervision of registrars and consultants who would have ultimatly made the tough decisions, not the junior Dr's.
I assume there was no coroners case as the diagnosis of cancer was made and mum didn't pass within 24 hours of being in hospital, that would have given you diagnosis and probable reason for passing.
3 weeks from cancer diagnosis to passing is a terrible shock. You will all still be raw for a long time to come. However. standing in my shoes and on behalf of your Mum it is better than lingering on for months after a difficult surgery. Your Mum is ok; the pain is with those who are left to pick up the pieces. Enjoy the positive memories of your Mum, enjoy the dreams you will have. Perhaps see a counsellor for a couple of sessions. Sometimes funeral parlours are linked with consellors and you can access these for free for a short time. My thoughts are with you. Hope any rationale that comes your way helps to give you closure.

[nyc lady]

The average delay in diagnosing ovarian cancer when presenting with symptoms to a doctor is 3 to 12 months.  The reason being, although the symptoms do exist, they are vague and could many other conditions such as IBS.  The best defense against this disease is early detection, the best way to be detected early is to educate women to know the signs and symtoms, urge them to be advocates for their own health and also at the same time, educate doctors and nurses on the signs and symptoms.  
I am so sorry to hear of  your loss, it is never easy to lose a loved one.
Pam

[heartbroken912]

Hi, my mom was told by 2 prior hosp that she had pancreatic cancer just b/c they saw a SHADOW by her pancreas.  We went to Yale Hosp and Dr. Saif reviewed all DVD's, studies, tests and came into the examining room and for the first time, a compassionate and knowledgeable dr. said mom didn't have pancreatic cancer.  The hospital was at fault, I would say take it to an attorney immediately!