Mom in her 20s dies after GP ‘misses out’ to diagnose breast cancer

Key points:

The HDC report harshly criticizes the GP and medical center for not seeing a young woman’s cancer.

A mother in her 20s died of breast cancer after a GP failed to investigate her “red flag” symptoms.

The New Zealand GP and medical center have been found to be violating the Code of Rights of Consumers of Health Services and the Disabled by “missing the opportunity to diagnose breast cancer,” according to a report released today.

The young woman visited her GP in 2015 with blood-stained nipple discharge from her left breast, which was described in the Health and Disability Commission (HDC) report as a “red flag symptom.”

The doctor made a referral for an ultrasound that was done three weeks later. The results returned normal, and a nurse told the woman that the scan results were “fine” with no need for follow-up.

About eight months later, and two days after giving birth to her second child, the woman returned for an additional checkup.

His chest was hard and tender as a stone, and the GP prescribed antibiotics for possible mastitis (breast inflammation). However, the symptoms did not resolve and the GP sent an urgent request for an ultrasound, which confirmed a diagnosis of breast cancer.

The woman died three years later in 2019, according to the HDC report. She leaves behind her two young children and her grieving husband.

Former Commissioner Anthony Hill, who investigated a complaint filed by the woman’s family, said her treatment highlighted the importance of GPs thoroughly investigating the warning sign symptoms, including referral to specialists as needed. to ensure that there are no opportunities for early diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer. lost.

He said the omission was a missed opportunity to diagnose and treat a woman’s cancer at an earlier stage.

“The inescapable fact is that [the GP] should have referred [the woman] to a breast surgeon after the scan, regardless of the scan results, because of the blood-stained unilateral nipple discharge, but he did not, “Hill said.

“Failure to do so led to [the woman] being informed that her results were okay and that no scheduled follow-up was required, and placed responsibility on [the woman] follow up if I had further concerns, which was inappropriate advice under the circumstances. “

In the report, the GP said: “I accept the comments resulting from [Mrs A’s] In this case, that important advice on safety nets in the context of a reassuring test could be further enhanced or highlighted. “

Following the investigation, Hill recommended that the GP’s medical center conduct an audit of 10 randomly selected patients with a coded diagnosis of a breast symptom within the past year to ensure that the care provided is consistent with current guidelines. .

The former commissioner also told the medical center to provide evidence of the steps it had taken to ensure a stronger monitoring and safety netting process for high-risk patients.

He also recommended that the GP apologize to the woman’s husband.