Thursday 25 February 2010

Teenage dancer has leg amputated after doctors 'failed to spot cancer'

Shannon Corr, 15, repeatedly visited GPs for over two months complaining of agonising pains in her right knee and shin that left her struggling to walk.

But doctors told her she was suffering from a disease which usually affects teenage boys who play football and growing pains, advising her to go home and rest. After GPs refused to refer Shannon to hospital her mother Jeannetta Swift, 44, rushed her to A&E and pretended she had fallen over so she could be fully examined.

Doctors immediately spotted a problem, but by the time osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer, was diagnosed it had spread to her leg's soft tissue and they were forced to amputate...
Source: The Telegraph

4 comments:

Henry North London 2.0 said...

Bloody workshy doctors...

Nikita said...

GPs! Love 'em or hate 'em. Probably both! Immediate or extended family, friends and friends of friends. All misdiagnosed or undiagnosed. Last pisser offer, today! Friend ignored by GP, Five week history of anorexia, weight loss, nausea and loose stools following acute pancreatitis. Phoned GP to insist on hospitlisation.
After one week in hospital, CT scan. Showed problem with pancreas. Immediate referral to different hospital.
I have cried for her tonight. I have cried for so many people. I hope it is not as bad as it appears.
I have no real problem with GPs or hospital doctors. To err is human. But why cannot they say "Sorry."

honest ED Doc said...

This is well recognised as the way that osteosarcoma presents- pain in a limb with no obvious explanation. But here is the tricky part only a tiny number of people with unexplained limb pain will have an osteosarcoma. It is a very rare disease and unpleasant. It almost invariably results in amputation as being the only possible curative treatment- not one that was "forced" upon anyone. Of course though, a delayed diagnosis of a rare difficult to diagnose condition is always felt to be the fault of the doctor, rather than simply an unfortunate event. Eventually, as the tumour slowly grows, it becomes very obvious something serious is wrong. But people always want someone to blame.

honest ED Doc said...

Henry North, what are you going on about? "work shy doctors" as if you would know. What about this sad tale suggests laziness, apart from your assumptions?

I note that elsewhere on this site you are claiming to be a foreign doctor persecuted by the "racist" GMC. So what's the truth?