Archive · 22 Aug 2025
Woman's Stage 4 Cancer Misdiagnosed, Causing Lifelong Disability
A woman in the UK, Karen, was feeling unwell with tiredness and other issues.
Doctors first thought it was due to gardening or menopause.
But it was actually stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a type of blood cancer.
The cancer affected her spinal cord.
After treatment, the cancer is gone, but she is now permanently in a wheelchair due to the damage.
Non-Hodgkin lymphoma happens when the body makes too many white blood cells.
There are several factors that can increase the risk.
A 54-year-old woman was misdiagnosed with a gardening injury after experiencing symptoms later identified as stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
The woman experienced fatigue, hot flashes, loss of appetite, weight loss, and kidney pain, initially attributed to menopause and gardening.
After her symptoms worsened, she lost sensation in her legs and bladder/bowel function.
She was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a blood cancer affecting the lymphatic system.
Treatment has led to remission, but the spinal cord damage has left her permanently wheelchair-bound.
- Who
- Karen Davy, a 54-year-old woman.
- What
- A woman was misdiagnosed and later diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leading to lifelong disability.
- When
- The woman's symptoms started last year.
- Where
- United Kingdom.
- Why
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma formed because her body started producing too many lymphocytes.
Patient's Experience
Medical Perspective
Initial Diagnosis
Patient's Experience
The patient initially experienced symptoms and received a misdiagnosis.
Medical Perspective
The patient experienced symptoms and initially received a misdiagnosis.
- Patient Age
- 54 years old
- Initial Symptoms
- Fatigue, hot flashes, loss of appetite, and kidney pain
- Cancer Stage
- Stage 4
- Cancer Type
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Treatment
- Radiotherapy and chemotherapy
- Current Status
- In remission, wheelchair-bound