Thousands of women with incurable breast cancer have at least three GP visits before being diagnosed, new report reveals
- Breast Cancer Now study found some waited years to be told disease had spread
- Some women said they were made to feel like ‘hypochondriacs’ when visiting GP
- The study found four in ten felt symptoms were not taken seriously on a first visit
Thousands of women with incurable breast cancer have to visit their GP at least three times to get a diagnosis, a damning report has revealed.
The study found one in four patients with secondary breast cancer had to make three or more trips – with some waiting years to be told the disease had spread.
Breast Cancer Now found patients with the disease have to battle ‘avoidable’ and ‘unacceptable’ delays to get a diagnosis.
And some women said they were made to feel like ‘hypochondriacs’ when visiting GPs with symptoms.
Secondary breast cancer, which affects around 35,000 patients in the UK, is incurable and occurs when breast cancer returns and spreads to other parts of the body.
Ribociclib allows women with the most common type of advanced, incurable breast cancer to live longer, healthier lives by blocking an enzyme that helps tumour cells divide (stock image)
The study found four in ten felt their symptoms – including lumps, nausea, weight loss and severe pain – were not taken seriously when they first spoke to a doctor or nurse.
And one in five was treated for another health condition by their GP before being diagnosed.
Around 55,000 women and 370 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year.
Some 11,500 die of the disease each year, almost all of whom have secondary – or ‘metastatic’ – breast cancer. If left untreated, the cancer will spread and symptoms are likely to worsen and have a greater impact on daily life.
Victims include mother-of-three Joy Knott, who was initially treated for a chest infection – when in fact her lung had collapsed due to a tumour. She said: ‘At no point in the year it took me to be diagnosed did anyone mention a possible link between my symptoms and my breast cancer having spread.’
The study found four in ten felt their symptoms – including lumps, nausea, weight loss and severe pain – were not taken seriously when they first spoke to a doctor or nurse (stock image)
Jo Myatt, 44, was diagnosed with secondary breast cancer in August 2016 following a number of visits to her GP over three years.
She said: ‘It took at least five appointments with my GP before a blood test was arranged. I also saw a number of different specialists about these symptoms.
‘By the time the cancer was found it had spread significantly… there were extensive tumours in my bones and liver, which had now started to fail. Had my secondary breast cancer been diagnosed sooner, I could have been able to access less invasive treatments and have more options. Throughout this ordeal, I was made to feel like a hypochondriac.’
Campaigners said women with primary breast cancer must be aware of potential symptoms of the disease returning and are calling for new resources for GPs to improve diagnosis.
Baroness Delyth Morgan, chief executive at Breast Cancer Now, said the delays are ‘completely unacceptable’, adding: ‘It is clear we need to provide better support to GPs and do much more to raise awareness of what secondary breast cancer is. We cannot let those with secondary breast cancer be written off.’
Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, of the Royal College of GPs, said: ‘We understand the importance of timely diagnosis and are highly-trained to identify possible symptoms of cancer and its recurrence.’
The NHS said: ‘Breast cancer survival is at a record high and, thanks to huge advances in NHS care, the number of people dying from the disease is falling faster in this country than the rest of Europe.’