Home / Health / Teen's tumor mistaken for baby, now rare cancer fight
Teen's tumor mistaken for baby, now rare cancer fight
23 Oct
Summary
- Doctors mistook a young woman's tumour for a pregnancy, leading to delayed diagnosis.
- Verity faces a rare sarcoma requiring a £5,000 per dose cancer drug.
- Her family is fundraising for a treatment not routinely funded by the NHS.
A woman's initial diagnosis was drastically misinterpreted when doctors mistook a large tumour for a pregnancy. Verity Barker, then 17, sought medical help for bloating and discomfort, only to be sent for an ultrasound that revealed an 11cm growth.
Subsequent surgery revealed the mass had grown to 25cm, wrapped around her ovary. Initially diagnosed with ovarian cancer, Verity underwent extensive treatment including chemotherapy and surgeries. She later learned she had desmoplastic small round cell tumour (DSRCT), an extremely rare and aggressive sarcoma.
Now 26, Verity has faced further major operations and clinical trials. With her liver failing and a prognosis of mere months, she and her mother are fundraising for Enhertu, an experimental drug costing £4,785 per dose. This treatment is not routinely funded for sarcoma.
The drug is hoped to provide more time, with the ultimate goal of her surviving long enough for a cure to be found. Verity, who married in 2022, speaks publicly about maintaining mental resilience through her battle.
