Porsche McGregor-Sims: Model, 27, dies of cancer after doc said her problems were 'hormonal'
Porsche McGregor-Sims, a 27-year-old young model, died a day after being diagnosed with cervical cancer. The family of the model has chastised physicians for failing to detect the disease sooner. Porsche McGregor-Sims of Portsmouth had seen a doctor months before complaining of stomach discomfort and bleeding but was told her symptoms were "hormonal." The autopsy shows that the consultant did not evaluate her properly and recommended additional testing, Daily Mail reports.
She had two phone consultations and was prescribed antibiotics when she had shortness of breath two months later, in March 2020. McGregor-Sims was only seen face-to-face by physicians after her ongoing shortness of breath was mistakenly diagnosed as Covid-19, according to the hearing at Portsmouth coroner's court. She was transported to Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, where she was diagnosed with an aggressive type of cervical cancer. She died a day later after the treatment.
READ MORE
Pioneering CNN anchor Bobbie Battista dies at 67 after a four-year battle with cervical cancer
Dr Peter Schlesinger, working as a locum gynecologist at the hospital who examined McGregor-Sims when she was originally referred by her GP, apologized to the family for missing her cancer and claimed he felt her symptoms were "hormonal" after she ceased birth control injections a year ago. He told, “The rather specific nature of her bleeding made me think her risk of cervical cancer was small, in light of her normal smear test and her age, I didn’t think a vaginal examination was needed — there seemed to be no benefit. I appreciate the fact I was wrong, but given the myriad of symptoms this young woman had, I felt the right approach was hormonal manipulation. The fact is I was wrong. I apologise," Daily Mail reports.
McGregor-Sims' mother, Fiona Hawke, chastised the doctor for failing to do the most basic examinations by neglecting to personally examine her daughter. “She was a young woman who was told she might have cancer. She was on her own and scared. You focused on her IBS [irritable bowel syndrome] and a different type of bleeding . . . and that just doesn’t make sense to me,” she added.
Despite visiting with her GP a month prior, McGregor-Sims was not seen by Schlesinger until late January 2020 due to the Christmas season. McGregor-Sims received her first smear test in 2017, while engaged to her long-term partner whom she met while at university. Despite the fact that it indicated no malignant cells but did show some abnormalities, no further action was taken. McGregor-Sims was remembered by friends and relatives. “Losing her is like having the sun burnt out," her mother stated. In her honor, a crowdsourcing initiative garnered over £3,000 for flowers at her burial.