Imagine being told you have incurable cancer. And, for 10 weeks, you undergo invasive medical procedures, plan your funeral and prepare to say goodbye to your loved ones. Only to be told, there was a mistake in the pathology lab. And you don't have cancer after all.
What toll does that take and how does one feel and recover? National correspondent Amanda Gillies spoke to one woman who went through this devastating experience.
Angie Hawkins gently breathes in the chilled Canterbury air, feeling alive.
A few months ago, she didn't think this was possible. She was planning her funeral, believing she was dying of incurable cancer.
"I was told I had cancer and then I was told I didn't have cancer, and it was just hard to work out what to believe really," she said.
So how did this go so wrong for the Canterbury mum of two?
It started in August, when she developed a rash on her body and then started vomiting.
When she became short of breath, an ambulance was called and she was taken to Christchurch Hospital - where she said she had blood tests and a chest x-ray before a CT scan of her chest and abdomen.
Fifteen hours later, in the emergency department, a doctor delivered devastating news.
"The ED doctor told us that the CT scan was looking like I had lung cancer," Hawkins said.
She immediately thought of her children and then her parents, both of whom have battled cancer.
"We were devastated," she said, her voice breaking.
Two days later, she had a bronchial washing and then a bronchoscopy. Another blow was then delivered.
"They felt it was a breast cancer that had metastasized to my lungs and my lymph nodes, and that any treatment I was offered would be to extend my life and not to cure me."
She said her elderly mum took the new diagnosis especially hard.
"My mother was very upset that it was breast cancer. She had breast cancer and she thought she had given me the breast cancer gene."
While devastated, Hawkins was determined to face the cancer head on.
"I was keen to get started to find out what sort of breast cancer I had and get started on the chemo so I could live for as long as I was going to live."
Her France-based son moved home, her daughter cancelled her travel plans, so they could be with mum for weeks of body MRIs, brain scans, CT scans, mammograms, needle biopsies and more bronchoscopies.
At the same time, she started planning her funeral and gave away jewellery and personal items. But then, a new medical curve ball was delivered.
"Two months down the track the oncologist said to us that he was really confused about what was going on."
She said she wasn't getting sicker and her test results were varying. Her doctor wanted a pathology review of the original breast cancer cells.
That's when Angie said she got the phone call - she didn't have cancer after all. There'd been a mix up in the pathology lab - she got someone else's results.
"It was just the most surreal experience. For the last 10 weeks, I thought I was dying.
"I didn’t know whether to believe him or not. But there was obviously immediate relief from all of us that I wasn’t dying - especially from my parents, I could see a weight being lifted from their shoulders because nobody wants to bury their child.
She said a review of the pathology department revealed lab tongs were behind the cell mix-up. She was assured the other woman involved did already know she had breast cancer.
Regardless, Hawkins no longer has trust in the health system.
"I am still angry," she said, shaking her head.
The small-town rumours haven’t helped.
"There was talk of me being a fraud and that I never had this cancer diagnosis at all."
She didn't leave home for months. And while the mental and emotional toll of the misdiagnosis has been devastating, she said she can't get phycological support from the oncology team or other medical departments.
Why? Because she doesn’t have cancer.
Health New Zealand/Te Whatu Ora Canterbury chief medical officer Richard French provided the below response to the story:
"We are sincerely sorry that Angela was given an incorrect diagnosis and we have apologised and will continue to do so for the significant stress we have caused both Angela and her family," Dr French said.
"The error occurred after Angela had a CT scan on August 14, 2023, which showed possible cancer in her lungs. She was referred for a procedure called bronchoalveolar washing, which she was told on August 30, 2023, showed cells suggestive of metastatic breast cancer.
"At a multidisciplinary meeting on September 18, 2023, more testing was requested as other testing undertaken did not match up with Angela's pathology reports.
"It was then discovered on October 16, 2023, an error had occurred in the lab and it was probable Angela didn't have metastatic breast cancer. She was told on October 17, 2023, we believed an error had occurred but that further tests were needed.
"On October 20, 2023, it was confirmed there were no abnormalities found on further testing and we confirmed on October 25, 2023, there had been an accidental transfer of another person's cells to Angela’s bronchoalveolar washing test and Angela did not have metastatic breast cancer.
"We believe this may have happened by the cells being transferred across on the forceps used to handle the tissue. This is very rare, there are laboratory safeguards in place to avoid this occurring, which have been further improved following this event.
"An ACC injury claim was submitted, on the basis Angela had undergone psychological harm and the incident was referred to the quality team.
"We apologised to Angela for the distress this has caused and we will continue to be very sorry to her and her family for what has happened and all they have been through.
"Options for support were discussed and offered early, but Angela's referral for counselling through the Cancer Psychological and Social Support team was declined, as this service is only available for patients who have cancer. An alternative way for her to receive counselling was sought.
"An ACC injury claim was put forward due to the psychological harm she has undergone.
"Due to privacy, we can't comment on the other patient involved in this case, other than reassuring Angela the other patient's case was not affected."
