A WOMAN from Bodmin who is facing an uncertain future is appealing for earlier cancer screenings after claiming doctors failed to diagnose she had the disease despite a number of warning symptoms.

Jean Buck, 55, eventually had her cancerous kidney removed, and is now calling for GPs to refer patients for CT scans at an early stage to prevent others having to go through the same ordeal.

Mrs Buck, who lives in Monument Way, said she feared because her cancer was found so late it might have spread, and she was now facing continued screening.

Painkillers

She said she had initially complained of an aching back and spine to her GP, who prescribed painkillers.

"I was also losing weight and feeling really unwell," she said. "At one stage I really felt as if I was going to die, because I was so ill. I couldn't eat in the end.

"I was told I had an infection in my water and was given antibiotics."

Mrs Buck said eventually she did receive a CT scan and a tumour was detected.

Surgeons removed one of her kidneys and found an aggressive tumour.

"Cancer is graded from 1 to 4 and when it reaches 4 that's basically terminal," explained Mrs Buck.

"When they found the cancer on the scan it didn't look too bad, but when they took out the kidney it was worse than they thought.

"It'd been there so long it had become aggressive and was a grade 3, and I've been told there's a 75 per cent chance of the cancer coming back."

Mrs Buck is awaiting the results of her most recent scan.

Now she is calling for early screening which could prevent others going through what she has had to endure.

"They found my cancer far too late," she said. "I went to the surgery every two weeks, and all I was given was painkillers. GPs must refer their patients earlier for scans.

"I've now lost a kidney; I've not lost my life, but other people have died, I'm sure, because they weren't referred for scans at an earlier stage."

Health watchdog the Patients' Association said it could not comment on individual cases, but the cost of CT scans could be a factor in the decision not to make a referral.

Katherine Murphy, its chief executive, said: "The appropriate time to send a patient for a CT scan is a judgement for clinicians to make.

"Where there's a suspicion of cancer, all patients would want to be referred for testing as quickly as possible.

" However, we regularly hear from patients via our helpline that CT scans and other diagnostic tests are being delayed on the basis of cost, and because equipment is repeatedly breaking down.

"That means the decision is taken out of the hands of the clinician and much-needed tests aren't occurring as quickly as they should."

The Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Primary Care Trust refused to comment on the Cornish Guardian's story.