Published Dec 14, 2020

27-Year-Old Dad Dies of Cancer After COVID-19 Allegedly Caused Delays In Getting MRI, Resulting In Misdiagnosis

After experiencing leg pain, a man in England was misdiagnosed with prostatitis; he "begged" for an MRI scan and was told he couldn't get one right away because screenings were slowed due to the pandemic.

Anne McCarthy

Details

Sherwin Hall's Misdiagnosis

Late father and husband, Sherwin Hall, 27, was unable to get an MRI screening right away due to the COVID-19 pandemic and that led to a misdiagnosis.
His wife believes he could still be alive had his doctors not waited two months to give him an MRI.
When something doesn’t feel right, talk to your doctor and always get a second opinion if you’re not getting answers; you need to be your own biggest advocate when it comes to your health.

A husband and father in England, Sherwin Hall, 27, said COVID-19 caused delays in his getting an MRI scan, leading to a misdiagnosis; he passed earlier this month from cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically altered life for everyone especially those fighting cancer. The Daily Mail reported that Hall first went to the doctor on March 23 after experiencing leg pain. His doctor prescribed him antibiotics and diagnosed him with prostatitis, a disease of the prostate that causes groin pain and painful urination. On May 26, after 13 hospital visits in four weeks, he was eventually given an MRI scan and it showed a large malignant tumor in his pelvis and 30 tumors on his lungs.

Hall reportedly had to “beg” for the MRI scan, and was unable to get treatment sooner because of COVID-related delays. He said, “Both my GP and my consultant told me that I couldn’t get one because scanning services were slowed down because of the coronavirus.” Hall’s widow, La’Troya Hall, said, “I am devastated. I have lost the love of my life. If Sherwin’s cancer had been found earlier it is likely he would still be here today. He would want me to do everything I can to prevent other families suffering as we have.”

Cancer Screenings Through COVID-19

This young father’s story shows just how important it is to continue screening for cancer through the pandemic. Dr. Elizabeth Comen, a Medical Oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, said in an earlier interview, “We know that cancer has not gone away just because we’re in the middle of a pandemic. We also know that some elective procedures and potentially preventative care things like colonoscopies, and mammograms, and pap smears may have been put off a couple of months because we wanted to limit the number of people that were coming into the hospital and also keep patients at home unless they really needed to leave.”

Related: Smart Tips For Getting Cancer Screenings Right Now From The Chief Medical Officer of the American Cancer Society

Dr. Comen said that as more time has passed during the pandemic, she and others now have a greater understanding of the needed precautions to take. “Fortunately, now that we have a little bit of a better hold on how to protect patients, how to disinfect, how to clean in between patients and scatter so that we’re not crowding our waiting rooms,” she said. “It’s really, really important to remember to talk to your doctor about your screening mammogram or any other preventative tests that you may need. We know that cancer prevention works, and what we don’t want is a huge fallout because of COVID that patients are so afraid to leave their home that they’re missing their most important tests, like their screening mammogram.”

It's Important To Continue Cancer Screenings Through COVID-19

Advocating for Your Health

Sherwin Hall said that “no one would listen” to his concerns about his pain. Misdiagnoses can happen, so important to always advocate for yourself and to get a second, or third, or fourth opinion if you’re not getting answers to what’s going on with your body. You need to be your biggest advocate when it comes to your health.

Ovarian cancer survivor Stephanie Virgin said in an earlier interview how her symptoms led her to advocate for her health and seek out a diagnosis. Virgin said, “I began noticing what I now know are symptoms of ovarian cancer pretty shortly after I stopped taking my birth control.” At the time, Virgin was trying to get pregnant. “I had worsened cramping, but I’d heard that could be my menstrual cramping that I was not used to on birth control. I’d heard of ovulation cramping.”

But her symptoms persisted. “So I just thought cramping was a really good sign about trying to get pregnant. I had lower back pain, but I also walked around unstable surfaces in high heels all the time showing houses and walking around outside and things like that. I could explain away every single one of my symptoms and didn’t even recognize they were symptoms. If you don’t feel right, call your doctor. If your doctor doesn’t listen, get a second opinion. You need to know that you are your best advocate.”

"You Are Your Own Best Advocate" Recognizing the Subtle Symptoms of Ovarian Cancer

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