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For two years, a young woman was repeatedly told by doctors that her lower back pain was caused by sciatia—until she flew to Greece for private scans which revealed a grapefruit-sized tumour on her spine.
Leah Kalkan, 23, a student from West Yorkshire, knew that there was something wrong, and saw her GP several times a week for years complaining of debilitating pain.
Despite her pleas for help, hospital referrals, multiple scans and even calls to paramedics, she was assured it was sciatia, a condition which normally occurs due to a slipped disk.
The disk presses against the sciatic nerve that runs from the lower back to the foot, and can cause shooting pains, a sensation of cramp and can be so severe it leaves someone unable to walk.
In 2023, a tender, hard lump 'the size of a grapefruit' appeared on her lower back, prompting Ms Kalkan's partner to arrange for her to undergo a private scan in Greece.
The procedure revealed concerning abnormalities, but when her GP refused to look at the scans due to them being done abroad, she was forced to seek a private opinion.
She was subsequently diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a form of cancer.
Ms Kalkan said: 'I was scared—they told me the lump was very serious, and that my cancer was rare and aggressive.
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