A 'beloved' mother-of-four's life has changed forever after undergoing a double-mastectomy due to doctors missing her cancer.
Serena Russo, 54, of Worthing, West Sussex, discovered a small lump in her right breast in June 2019 and was examined at the breast clinic at Worthing Hospital.
She was told her mammogram results were normal and showed no suspicious lesions.
Yet as she remained concerned she returned to her GP in February 2020, and was again referred to the clinic for tests.
This time she was told a stage two tumour had been found in her right breast, which needed to be removed, and that a biopsy was also needed from her left breast, to see if the cancer had spread.
Although it had not spread, Serena had her left breast removed this October, on the advice of consultants, as a precaution.
She says the whole experience around her misdiagnosis left her feeling badly let down, causing her periods of depression.
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Serena said: “The changes to my body have been traumatic for me and this was added to as I feel I wasn’t given a chance to fight my cancer due to the delayed diagnosis.
“I decided against breast reconstruction surgery, as I just didn’t think I’d cope with all the extra difficultly that would bring for me and my family at this time.
“I’ve suffered from really poor initial care at this clinic, but also some wonderful care and treatment from many excellent, kind doctors and nurses in more recent times since.
“I now just want lessons to be learned.”
As part of the legal case, the trust admitted causing the eight-month delay in diagnosis by not identifying the cancer in June 2019, the solicitors said.
According to the solicitors, the trust also admitted that, had the cancer been spotted then, treatment could have been provided which would have avoided the need for a mastectomy.
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When asked about Mrs Russo’s case, Professor Katie Urch, chief medical officer at University Hospitals Sussex, said: "We extend our sincere apologies to Mrs Russo and her family and wish her the very best for the future.
“We remain committed to improving services for our patients.
“We are doing this through increased investment in staff and testing new technologies, to enable faster diagnoses and the highest standards of safety and quality."
She added: “At present, I don’t feel depressed, but I do face anxiety, and this makes at least a third of my week very difficult for me to get through. I force myself to function for the sake of my family.
“Things have been put on hold by my family as a result of everything that has happened, and due to the amount of time that has passed, it feels difficult to carry on with life as normal, but I feel that I can now see light at the end of the tunnel and I am ready to close this chapter of my life and move forward.”
Mark, Serena’s husband, says he is full of admiration for his wife for how she has handled the situation, and for now sharing her story.
He said: “At times over the past few years I’ve seen Serena struggle so much, from the emotional struggles to being in so much pain after her various operations, and I’ve felt so helpless and powerless.
“There has been nothing I have been able to do but be there for her.
“The consequence of somebody not doing their job properly has been life-changing for my beloved wife, who is the kindest women I have ever met.
“We came away from that initial appointment feeling reassured.
“Then, when we went back eight months later and were told it had been missed, it was really difficult to take. You could tell from the doctor’s face that it was going to be bad news. Serena was really upset. She was livid that such a mistake could have been made.
“We look back now and wish we’d questioned that initial examination and result more, but when you hear good news, you want to grab it with both hands.
“Serena is a very positive person and always wants to put difficulties and worries behind her and look forward to what is ahead. We are doing that again.”
Despite the life-changing errors made in her treatment, Serena says she wants people to “put their trust in doctors” – but also has asked more from them to ensure that mistakes like this don’t happen again.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers found in women in the UK.
According to Breast Cancer Now, a research and support charity, around 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the UK.
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