A North East mum-of-two tragically died from breast cancer at age 34 after she was misdiagnosed by doctors – with her family now highlighting the importance of early detection.
Leonie Largue, from Newcastle, first attended her GP surgery in June 2014 after developing a 1cm lump in her right breast.
Without a thorough examination, she was advised by a doctor that it was a swollen lymph gland, and no further referral was made.
Around 17 months later, Leonie attended the surgery again, and, this time, two lumps were found.
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In February 2016, Leonie was admitted to the hospital with shortness of breath and was coughing up blood.
A CT scan was performed, which showed the progression of her cancer.
She underwent six cycles of chemotherapy between February and June of that year.
Despite the care given by doctors, Leonie died on November 3, 2016.
Following Leonie’s death, her husband John, 42, who she’d been married to for seven years, instructed medical negligence experts at Irwin Mitchell to investigate his wife’s care and whether her cancer could have been diagnosed sooner.
He said: “It’s been six years since we lost Leonie, but the pain today still feels as raw as it did back then.
“She was so young and full of life before getting cancer, it was devastating to watch it take hold of her. For her to die so soon after being diagnosed was also incredibly difficult.
“She was the best wife and mum and to know that our sons will have to live their lives without her is unbearable. They were still very young when they had to deal with losing Leonie, and she’ll never see them get married or have families of their own.
After the legal challenge, his legal team secured him an undisclosed settlement from a GP involved in her care.
Through their lawyers, the GP admitted a breach of duty in that they should have carried out a breast examination during Leonie’s initial appointment.
They denied that earlier treatment would have avoided her death, however, the parties were able to reach a compromise in the claim following negotiations.
He added: “To this day, I still feel if cancer had been found earlier, Leonie might still be here. But I know there is nothing I can do to turn back the clock and change what’s happened.
“All I can do now is give our sons the best life possible, and make sure they know their mum loved them with all her heart.
“I also hope that by sharing my story, it will make others aware that cancer doesn’t just affect those who are old or unfit. Leonie had her best years ahead of her, yet she still fell ill.
“It’s also important that cancer is found early, so please seek a second opinion if you need to. I really wish I had urged Leonie to do that; I feel it might have saved her life.”
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