November 1, 2023 8.00 pm This story is over 7 months old

A missed diagnosis, a life lost: How one Lincolnshire mum’s tragic story is fuelling a campaign for change

Diana Altoft’s battle with pancreatic cancer highlights the urgent need for better awareness and early diagnosis
Diana's journey began with abdominal pains in 2015, initially misdiagnosed as gynaecological issues.

“If you have cancer, I will eat my hat!” These were the words spoken by a GP to Diana Altoft, a Lincolnshire mum who later died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 46. Her tragic story highlights the urgent need for better awareness and diagnosis of this deadly disease, which has a 5-year survival rate of less than 8%.

Diana’s journey began with abdominal pains in 2015, initially misdiagnosed as gynaecological issues. Despite multiple visits to her GP and various incorrect diagnoses, it wasn’t until Diana herself insisted on an ultrasound scan that her stage-4 pancreatic cancer was discovered. By then, it was too late for life-saving surgery.

Read the full story on MyLocal Lincolnshire, the new home of The Lincolnite