A 'beloved' mother-of-four's life has changed forever after undergoing a double-mastectomy due to doctors missing her cancer. Serena Russo, 54, of Worthing, West Sussex, discovered a small lump in her right breast in June 2019 and was examined at the breast clinic at Worthing Hospital. She was told her mammogram results were normal and showed no suspicious lesions.
Yet as she remained concerned she returned to her GP in February 2020, and was again referred to the clinic for tests. This time she was told a stage two tumour had been found in her right breast, which needed to be removed, and that a biopsy was also needed from her left breast, to see if the cancer had spread. Although it had not spread, Serena had her left breast removed this October, on the advice of consultants, as a precaution.
Serena had both breasts removed following a delayed diagnosis (Image: Submitted) Serena, who is originally from Italy and worked as a cleaner, was 48 when she first found the lump in her right breast. She says the whole experience around her misdiagnosis left her feeling badly let down, causing her periods of depression. READ MORE: Sussex Paralympian Will Bayley at East Grinstead hospital Serena said: “The changes to my body have been traumatic for me and this was added to as I feel I wasn’t given a chance to fight my cancer due to the delayed diagnosis.
“I decided against breast reconstruction surgery, as I just didn’t think I’d cope with all the extra difficultly that would.