GP told father-of-three his back pain was sciatica – it was in fact pancreatic cancer…four months later he was dead

A heartbroken widow has told of the agonizing wait for her husband’s fatal pancreatic cancer diagnosis, which came too late to save his life.

When doctors discovered the disease in June this year, it was inoperable, had spread to his liver and was causing life-threatening blood clots in his lungs.

But Stuart Bradley, 42, from Co Down, Northern Ireland, had suffered symptoms since late 2023, including severe back pain, bowel problems and anxiety.

Mrs Bradley, 38, said his local GP struggled to get him into an appointment but suggested a telephone consultation instead.

During one of these remote appointments in May, a doctor mistook his symptoms for sciatica – a pain condition caused by compression of the sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower back to the feet.

It wasn’t until June 19, nine months after the pain started, that Stuart, father of three, was finally able to get an in-person GP appointment.

At that time he was diagnosed with blood clots in his legs and was referred to hospital for further evaluation.

A week later, scans revealed several cancerous growths in his body, including one in his liver and another in his pancreas, which was deemed inoperable.

At the time, Stuart, a roofer, was so ill that his skin was turning yellow and he was “sweating profusely,” Michelle said.

Still, doctors could do little other than prescribe strong painkillers to treat his agonizing pain.

‘I I had no idea what to do,” Michelle said. ‘It was also very frightening for the children.

‘We had to tell them about Dad’s cancer, without having the full information ourselves.

‘One night Stuart was in excruciating pain. The painkillers didn’t work.

“Paige, our middle child, stood at the top of our stairs and said, ‘I don’t want Dad to get cancer.’

“I felt so helpless as a wife and mother because I couldn’t do anything to ease Stuart’s pain or Paige’s worries.”

Stuart’s condition rapidly deteriorated and by September the disease had proved fatal.

Speaking of her late husband, Michelle described him as ‘larger than life size’.

She said: ‘He was unique, full of fun and hilariously funny.

‘Stuart had a special way with people. He was also a wonderful, hands-on father. The children were his pride and joy.”

Now Michelle is working with the charity Northern Ireland Pancreatic Cancer to raise awareness of the warning signs of the deadly condition.

Around 10,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with the disease every year.

Pancreatic cancer is an umbrella term for several tumors found on the 10-inch tadpole-shaped organ that helps with both digestion and hormone regulation.

One type, adenocarcinoma, is the most common, accounting for 90 percent of cases.

Often the condition has few to no symptoms until patients suddenly begin losing weight and turning yellow. At that point it is too late for the vast majority.

It’s why the disease is called a “silent killer.”

However, in some cases there are warning signs, including intestinal problems such as swelling and nausea, pain in the abdomen or back, and loss of appetite.

The Northern Ireland charity contacted the Bradley family six weeks after Stuart’s diagnosis, putting her in touch with another woman who had gone through similar problems.

Michelle said: “I had never heard of the charity until now. Within a few days, a woman named Susan Cooke contacted me.

‘She had lost her husband Colin to pancreatic cancer. It was the very first time I felt heard and understood.

‘I can’t describe how helpful it was to talk to someone who knew what we were going through.

‘NIPANC has deposited £500 into our bank account so we can make special memories.

‘We were referred for counseling support which NIPANC co-funded with Cancer Focus NI and a family photo shoot was organised.

‘Stuart went into hospice three days after the photos were taken and died two weeks later.’