Cancer Delay: Experts Scrutinize Missed Diagnosis

An inquest is scrutinizing a suspected delay in the cancer diagnosis of Tracey Taylor, who died in December 1999 at age 29. Medical experts told the coroner that a months-long delay occurred before her diagnosis, prior to her treatment by disgraced surgeon Ian Paterson. Paterson was jailed in 2017 for unnecessary surgeries. Taylor's case is among 68 deaths being investigated to determine if Paterson's actions contributed to unnatural deaths. Professor David Miles noted that while an earlier diagnosis might have changed treatment discussions, it was 'possible but not probable' it would have prolonged her life. Rick Linforth, an oncoplastic breast surgeon, believed an extension of life was probable but limited to a few months. Professor Nigel Bundred's report suggested an aggressive tumor and early metastases meant she would likely have died regardless. Taylor had experienced lumpiness for about a year, initially diagnosed as a benign fibroadenoma by her GP and later by a hospital doctor. Paterson removed the lump in March 1998, revealing it to be grade three breast cancer. A prior needle sample had been unusable, and the cancer was not detected until Paterson's surgery. Both Linforth and Miles criticized the time taken for diagnosis, citing prolonged waits for ultrasound results, and emphasized this delay predated Paterson's involvement. Norman Taylor, Tracey's husband, questioned Paterson's surgical choice of a wide local excision over a mastectomy. Linforth stated survival rates were comparable, and radiotherapy could address microscopic cells, though Taylor did not receive radiotherapy post-surgery. The coroner affirmed a thorough investigation into all circumstances surrounding Taylor's death.