Suffered 13 year of chemo for nothing - a bundling medic wrecked my life'

Andrew Whitehead says an NHS error led him to endure nearly 15 years of chemotherapy he later learned he likely did not need. Diagnosed in September 2010 after severe neck pain and neurological symptoms, Whitehead underwent emergency neurosurgery at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire to remove part of a tumor in his cervical spinal cord. After further pathology review, he was told he had an anaplastic astrocytoma and began intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy, including long-term monthly cycles of temozolomide. Despite repeated MRI scans showing no progression, treatment continued. In 2024, after a professor who had initiated his care retired, the original tumor tissue was re-examined. The review concluded it was not a high-grade malignancy and was consistent with a low-grade tumor, likely a pilocytic astrocytoma. Whitehead alleges “extreme negligence” and describes the impact on his life, including an inability to work.