Cancer should have been diagnosed sooner

What happened

Mr K saw his GP in late 2010 because of a problem with his hip. He was treated over several months for a relatively common complaint. After a few months of unsuccessful treatment, his GP referred him to the Trust. The Trust's physiotherapist found a lump and asked for further investigations. After a specialist opinion, Dr Z, a doctor at the Trust, saw Mr K. Neither the Trust nor Mr K told Dr Z that a lump had been found and the doctor treated Mr K for the hip problem. During an ultrasound guided injection, a radiologist saw the lump and arranged investigations that led to the lump being diagnosed as cancerous. The lump had spread to his lymph nodes. Mr K has since undergone extensive treatment.

What we found

We could not say that the cancer should have been diagnosed by the GPs, or that they failed to take appropriate action. The lump was not very large at that time, and we could not say whether or not Mr K mentioned a lump to the GPs. However, the Trust's care was inadequate. After its physiotherapist found a lump, it failed to act with sufficient urgency and did not plan Mr K's care appropriately. By the time Dr Z examined Mr K, the lump was such a size that he should have found it. We could not say whether the Trust's failings led to the cancer spreading to Mr K's lymph nodes, but the failure to diagnose the cancer earlier increased the chance that the cancer would spread and compromised Mr K's chances of survival in the longer term.

Putting it right

The Trust has investigated the complaint thoroughly and has identified a number of actions to improve its service. Following our recommendation, it paid Mr K £500 in compensation.