Anguish of mum who had breasts removed in cancer op blunder
A MUM of two is bravely rebuilding her life after having a double mastectomy and months of chemotherapy because doctors wrongly diagnosed her with breast cancer.
Sarah Boyle, 28, was devastated when doctors told her she had the “triple negative” form of the disease.
She underwent several rounds of treatment, suffering hair loss, before having both breasts removed to prevent the “cancer” spreading.
But the Royal Stoke University Hospital discovered seven months later her biopsy had been misread.
Sarah said: “To be told you have cancer was hard enough to take in. But then to be told after months of horrific treatment that it was all unnecessary is something I’m not sure I’ll ever come to terms with.
“It’s not just the physical effects that I have been left with but also the mental torture.”
Sarah, who lives in Stoke-on-Trent with husband Steven, 31, plus sons Teddy and Louis, added: “A misdiagnosis of cancer can ruin people’s lives and some people may not be as fortunate to survive.”
Sarah was 25 in November 2016 when she was misdiagnosed, following the birth of her first son Teddy.
But in June 2017, she was told by surgeon Sankaran Narayanan her biopsy had been incorrectly reported and she did not have the disease.
In a shocking twist, the mum was told the reconstructive surgery could increase the risk of her developing the disease in the future.
She was also initially informed her cancer treatment may lead to fertility issues but she did have second son Louis, now 13 months old.
University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust blamed “human error” and apologised to Sarah.
A spokesman said: “A misdiagnosis of this kind is exceptionally rare and we understand how devastating this has been for Sarah.
“As an extra safeguard, all invasive cancer diagnoses are now reviewed by a second pathologist.”
Sarah is calling for artificial intelligence technology to be more widely used in hospitals to avoid tragic blunders happening to other women.
Sarah Sharples, medical negligence lawyer representing the Boyles, said: “What Sarah and her family have had to endure is truly shocking and the effect of what happened continues to impact on their lives.”
Scientists this week heralded a breakthrough in cancer diagnosis using computer algorithms to reduce the number of false results.
Sarah with Louis and Teddy. Above: After her treatment. Below: With husband Steven and baby Teddy