Blunder in Britain: Woman received chemotherapy for 11 years — for a cancer she didn't have

A 34-year-old British woman received aggressive chemotherapy treatments for 11 years after being mistakenly diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. The misdiagnosis was given by a senior cancer consultant even before pathology results were available. The truth emerged in May 2025, when independent tests confirmed she never had a tumor. She is one of more than 40 patients filing a lawsuit against the NHS and UHCW hospital.

Becky Jones, 34, discovered she never had brain cancer after undergoing 11 years of unnecessary chemotherapy. The ordeal began when she was 21, when a senior cancer consultant diagnosed her with grade four glioblastoma before pathology results were available, stating she had only months to live. The misdiagnosis led to a prolonged treatment course with the drug temozolomide (TMZ), contrary to clinical guidelines recommending only six months. The treatments caused persistent nausea, abdominal pain, mouth sores, severe fatigue, and driving restrictions. The truth emerged in May 2025, after independent assessments by neurosurgeons and radiologists confirmed she suffered from an inflammatory brain condition called tumefactive demyelination, routinely treated with steroids. Jones is one of more than 40 patients filing a lawsuit against the National Health Service (NHS) and UHCW hospital. A preliminary review by the Royal College of Physicians described the failures as a 'betrayal of patient trust'.