'My sister's only cancer symptom was terrifyingly easy to miss - it killed her at just 25'

A woman has opened up about the tragic death of her sister, who passed away after doctors misdiagnosed her as

In 2020, "fit and healthy" Kate Drummond began to suffer from bad which she initially attributed to “poor posture” or "overtraining" following changes to her usual workout routine. After seeking help from her Kate was prescribed painkillers. Then, when the pain radiated to her hip, which became “warm to touch” with “slight swelling”, the then 25-year-old visited the A&E department of her local hospital in Devon in May 2021.

It was here where, following blood tests and an X-Ray, athletic Kate was diagnosed with “probable sciatica”, a condition whereby the sciatic nerve, which runs down from the lower back, becomes irritated or compressed, resulting in pain. Sister Kelly Drummond has recalled how medics had noted she was “one of the youngest patients (doctors) had ever seen” with this condition.

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It was at this time that Kate's pain increased, while her mobility started to decline, leaving her “struggling with everything”. After a spinal physiotherapist expressed concern over her symptoms, customer care professional Kate decided to undergo an MRI scan through private healthcare.

On July 7 2021, Kate learned that the scan had revealed a "grapefruit-sized tumour in her pelvic region, while there were numerous deposits on her spine.

A biopsy at Birmingham Hospital followed, after which Kate was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a rare type of cancer that can begin in the bones or soft tissue, on August 3, 2021.

“In a matter of weeks”, the cancer had spread to Kate’s lungs, liver, skull, jaw and other bones. Kelly, from Devon, remembered: “The news was life-altering, mainly for Kate, but also for her friends and family. I felt shock and disbelief, but also a bit of guilt, as well as you think ‘could I have done more to push her to seek help sooner?’ It all felt really unreal, and it shouldn’t happen to someone so young, especially someone so fit and healthy.”

Kate underwent emergency radiotherapy and also began a course of chemotherapy treatment over a period of several months. According to Kelly, her sister showed signs of improvement during this time. She shared: “She remained so strong and so positive the whole time, it was beyond us and we will never understand it."

Sadly, Kate’s health “rapidly declined” from January 2022 as her liver and kidneys began shutting down from the disease. Kelly explained: “It just all changed from there, it was a rapid downward spiral that kind of came out of nowhere."

Kate died on March 17 2022, and Kelly and other family members are still struggling to process their enormous loss. Kelly said: “Kate was never meant to die, it was an aggressive cancer, but she was never given a terminal diagnosis until the last few weeks. It just shows how very, very suddenly things can change.”

Personal trainer Kelly reflected: “She would also want to encourage people to make the most of your life that you’re lucky to have. Don’t wait, and laugh more, I think she would say.”

Kate’s loved ones continue to honour her memory in their day-to-day lives by striving to live for the moment and remain more present. According to Kelly: “Kate was the most kind and considerate person, and people were just generally drawn to her; she was really warm. She had really good wit, and she was just hilarious – she had this amazingly infectious laugh. We all say her laugh is what we miss most about her.”

Going forward, Kelly has chosen to share her story for the first time in order to encourage others to “listen to your body” and “advocate for yourself”, as Kate would have wanted. Kelly continued: “We’d be silly to not assume that things could have been slightly different had she been diagnosed sooner. When Kate’s tumour was found, it was large, they described it as grapefruit-sized, and it was suggested she may have had cancer in her body for up to two years.

“What started as some lower back pain turned into cancer within a matter of days, which then turned into multiple cancerous tumours in almost every part of her body – the rapid progression was shocking. Kate’s story shows just how unpredictable cancer is, and clearly, early diagnosis has been shown time and time again to save lives.”

April marks Teenage and Young Adult Cancer Awareness Month for the Bone Cancer Research Trust, the UK’s leading primary bone cancer charity

To find out more, visit the Bone Cancer Research Trust website

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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