A mother-of-four died after doctors missed 30 chances to diagnose her cervical cancer, an inquest heard.
Jeannine Harvey, 33, was left so ravaged by pain that she was unable to get out of bed without help.
But despite consultations with her GP and doctors at three hospitals, her cervical cancer was repeatedly misdiagnosed as a potential torn ligament, protruding discs, sarcoma and ‘nerve pain’.
Doctors even suggested at one point that her agony was caused by anxiety.
At one point, Miss Harvey’s sister became so desperate for her sibling to be treated, she got down on her knees to beg doctors to admit her.
By the time medics realised the accountancy student – whose youngest child was only two when she died – was suffering from advanced uterine cancer of the cervix, it was too late.
She died at a hospice in July 2012 – eight months after a blood test first raised concerns.
Yesterday, recording a narrative verdict, the Birmingham and Solihull coroner concluded that Ms Harvey died of uterine cancer of the cervix, which was misdiagnosed on more than 30 occasions.
Repeated failures were made by medical staff to recognise, diagnose and treat her, the inquest heard.
Following a post-mortem examination, it was confirmed that the cancer had originated in the cervix and the Coroner's interim death certificate stated the correct cause of death as cancer of the uterine cervix.
Jeannine's sister, Marie Donovan, said ahead of the inquest: 'All we’ve ever wanted is for someone to tell us how it was possible for medical professionals to miss so many opportunities to correctly diagnose and treat our sister, whose suffering and death were entirely preventable.
'Throughout Jeannine’s illness, we got the impression that no one was listening to us, and felt doctors were constantly patronising us by saying it was Jeannine’s anxiety that was making her pain worse.'
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