Bone cancer charity highlights misdiagnoses

Jun 27 2008 By Jessica Thomas

James Naughton

A Brentford mum has told of her son's tragic death to mark this week's awareness drive by the Bone Cancer Research Trust.

Fran Naughton's 16-year-old son James was told he had growing pains when he went to his GP with back ache - seven months later, on August 25, 2005, later he was dead.

Fran of York Road said: "I took him to the GP with back ache and he just told him it was growing pains and gave him some painkillers and deep heat rub.

"However, over the weekend the pain got progressively worse until he was literally sobbing. He ended up sleeping on the floor in front of the living room fire one night and I was woken up to him shouting from downstairs. He couldn't move his legs."

After taking Gunnersbury RC pupil James to the hospital he was misdiagnosed again with sciatica before doctors found a mass on his spinal cord.

Fran, 48 said: "He had so many operations on his spine there was eventually hardly anything left, he was left parylised from the chest down. It seemed he went from running around playing football with friends one day, to lying flat on his back on a life support machine the next."

Symptoms of bone cancer include, pain and swelling around the affected area and problems with movement. Anyone with continuing bone pain (lasting longer than a few weeks) should seek medical advice. Bone cancer can often be diagnosed with a simple X-ray.

Tim Eden, Professor of Teenage and Young Adult Cancer, says: "The big emphasis must be on young people being aware that painful lumps ought to be investigated, and empowering them to make sure that the doctor takes it seriously and arranges an X-ray."

For more information please visit www.bcrt.org.uk or call 0113 262 1852

For more of Jame's moving story see next week's Hounslow Chronicle.