'My mum was told her tumour was benign, then she died'

A grieving daughter's petition that calls for a significant change to NHS policy after her mother died from a cancer that doctors misdiagnosed has gathered nearly 40,000 signatures.

Chloe Hickman wants to establish Louise's Law - which would make it mandatory for tumours deemed to be benign to be double-checked.

The 24-year-old from Ipswich launched the campaign after her mum, Louise Hickman, 47, died in June, five years after consultants at Ipswich Hospital concluded a mass on her ovary was not sinister.

But, in a report seen by the BBC, doctors ruled that she had "come to significant harm due to the delay in diagnosis". The hospital said lessons had been learned.

"I still don't have my mum but this can be a positive that comes out of a horrific situation and I think [Louise's Law] could save hundreds of lives," Chloe told the BBC.

"There's nothing to say that in 20 years' time I won't be in the position she was in, but if this law is in place that is essentially my mum keeping me safe."

After being told a tumour was benign in 2019, Louise was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in April 2022, and underwent surgery and chemotherapy.

She was given the all-clear and assured the mass was not linked to the one that had been discovered previously – but Chloe says this was incorrect.

"[My mum] began to feel unwell last year and that's when an oncologist reviewed all the scans and said the first biopsy was in fact malignant," Chloe added.

"He said because no follow-up was done the cancer had metastasised and it was now stage four and incurable – that was quite hard to hear.

"Three months later she passed away, and I was angry. It's a horrible feeling and I don't think I've fully come to grips with it.

"My mum was the glue, and she would hold everyone together, but there's now a noticeable hole that no-one can replace."

According to figures gathered by Cancer Research UK between 2017 and 2019, there are around 4,100 ovarian cancer deaths in the UK every year.

"[My mum's] name will live on and it will have purpose," Chloe said.

"She wanted to fight the cancer and had the right thing have been done, she would have had the chance to.

"But now that she can't, that's now my duty. I think she would be proud."

According to the government website, petitions which reach 100,000 signatures are "almost always debated".

So far Chloe's petition has attracted over 39,000 supporters, one of which is Patrick Gillard, from Woodbridge.

His wife Caroline Page died from lung cancer in 2023 having initially been told she had long Covid.

"Her care was done over the phone for about a year, but as soon as she was seen by a GP he said things were not right and were suspicious," Mr Gillard, 65, said.

"Because she got a late diagnosis, she lived 11 months but we felt there would have been a chance to pick it up earlier, and that might have given her more time.

"I would fully support the right to get [a second opinion] if you ask for it. Re-tests would be useful."

Bethany Kyle, a solicitor with the medical negligence team at Ashtons Legal, said cases involving a cancer misdiagnosis "sadly do still happen quite a bit".

But because Chloe was not financially dependent on her mum, it was unlikely she would qualify for any significant compensation.

In relation to her call for a new law to be created, however, Ms Kyle said there was a precedent.

"There was a similar case not too long ago involving a 14-year-old girl who died of septic shock," she said.

"Martha's Rule was then brought in and that relates to families having the right to demand a second opinion when their family member is acutely unwell in hospital.

"Hopefully the same will happen for Chloe and Louise and they can bring about some changes."

Tim Leary, interim chief medical officer at East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Ipswich Hospital, extended his "deepest sympathies to Louise's family".

He added: "We launched a patient safety investigation following the delay of her cancer diagnosis. We have met with her family and shared the outcome of that investigation.

"Our teams will continue to support them at this very difficult time and the lessons learned from Louise's care and treatment will be used to improve our processes and services."

Department of Health and Social Care bosses told the BBC they were "committed to turning the NHS around so cancer patients are diagnosed and treated on time".

By March 2026, the expectation will be that 80% of patients are either diagnosed or given an all-clear within four weeks.

"We are investing an extra £1.5bn in new surgical hubs and AI scanners to help catch more cancers quicker, opening community diagnostic centres for longer, and investing in research," a spokesperson added.

According to the Cancer Research UK website, second opinions could help reassure patients or potentially give them different treatments to choose from.

The charity does also, however, say seeking second opinions could delay treatment and lead to confusion, and patients might not also be a priority, due to having already seen a doctor or specialist.

Cancer Support Suffolk said patients should "keep pushing" for a second opinion if they were "not happy with the response".

"We know our bodies better than anyone, so we recommend contacting your GP as soon as possible, particularly if symptoms persist," added the charity's CEO, Mark Murphy.

"Early diagnosis is vital and in many cases improves your chances of survival."

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