A 32-year-old woman named Rhian Butlin, who is a dental nurse by profession, has recently opened up about how she was made to have a hysterectomy after doctors misdiagnosed her with ovarian cancer. Back in September 2024, when Rhian Butlin went to the doctors with “excruciating” abdominal pain, her symptoms were initially referred to as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome).
However, even after two months, the pain persisted, and Rhian went back to the doctor. This time, a second scan was performed, and it showed one of her ovaries having a 25cm tumor, which needed to be removed. Her belly had also swollen a great deal by this point, making her look like a woman who was nine months pregnant.
In December, Rhian’s hysterectomy was performed, and her appendix and linings of her bowel were also removed as they also seemed swollen. All three organs of her were sent for biopsy. However, as Rhian underwent a difficult and tedious recovery process when the biopsy results came back, it showed that she did not even have cancer.
Woman, 32, Gets Hysterectomy Due to Tumor on Her Ovary. Doctors Later Apologize When Biopsy Shows No Cancer https://t.co/3aV1i2y3tm
— People (@people) April 14, 2025
This naturally made her family happy. As reported by Daily Mail, Lindsey Rice, her sister, said, “She didn’t have cancer after all. Can you believe how happy we all were? We cried and jumped for joy. The nightmare was over.” Rhian was also extremely happy as she could finally tell her children, who were 10 and 11 years old, that she was free of cancer.
However, the happiness did not last as Rhian’s symptoms came back in the next 24 hours, and when she went back to the doctors, they told her, “We are so sorry. We have gone through your notes, and you did actually have cancer. But it was in your appendix, and it is one of the rarest forms of cancer.”
This naturally was a huge shock to Rhian and her family as Rhian told Daily Mail, “I’m just emotionally drained. I’m constantly scared, and some nights I barely sleep. It’s just been a very scary journey if I’m honest. Obviously, I’ve had a full hysterectomy when I did not need to.”
She further added, “I’ve had my ovaries removed when I did not have ovarian cancer, and I’ve had the lining of my bowel removed when I did not have bowel cancer. Then they did remove my appendix in December, but it wasn’t until months later that they found cancer there.”
Since Rhian had first complained of intense stomach pain, it took more than six months for her to start her first three-month course of intensive chemotherapy. Talking about how the whole thing has been a nightmare for the entire family, Lindsey Rice told Daily Mail, “It’s not been the best experience. If they figured it out earlier on, then we would not be in the position we are in now. It feels like we have been massively let down.”
It now remains to be seen if the doctors now proceed with more care and provide Rhian with the treatment she actually needs.
