Teenager's Death Highlights Delays in Diagnosing Rare Cancers

Liberty York, a 19-year-old from Stratford-upon-Avon, died from angiosarcoma, an aggressive soft-tissue cancer, just two days after her birthday. A large tumor in her chest, weighing 10 pounds, had been initially dismissed as hormonal problems, mastitis, or an abscess. Her mother, Hannah York, stated that her daughter was not given a "fighting chance" due to significant delays in diagnosis.

Liberty first experienced fatigue and nausea in May 2024, followed by breast symptoms. Initially, her symptoms were attributed to Addison's disease, an autoimmune condition she had been diagnosed with a year prior. When her breast began to swell, a GP suspected mastitis, prescribing antibiotics that proved ineffective. Doctors indicated it was "highly unlikely" to be cancer.

It took three months, until August 21, 2024, for a biopsy to reveal the angiosarcoma. At this point, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, and there were no available beds at a specialist hospital. Liberty was sent home in severe pain, unable to walk more than 10 meters, with her breast swollen to ten times its normal size. Her mother expressed feeling helpless without pain medication.

Following an A&E visit, Liberty was admitted and underwent surgery on September 10. Surgeons removed the tumor, her breast, surrounding tissue down to the ribcage, and all lymph nodes in her left armpit. During her hospital stay, Liberty developed pneumonia and blood clots. By November, she was informed that the cancer had spread to her left lung and was incurable. She began palliative chemotherapy, but a new lump near her surgical scar in May 2025 indicated further spread.

Liberty chose to stop treatment and returned home for end-of-life care, passing away peacefully in her sleep on June 1. Her mother is now supporting the Child Cancer Smart campaign, led by CCLG: The Children & Young People's Cancer Association. This campaign is launching new guidelines for healthcare professionals to improve the recognition of soft tissue sarcomas in children and young people.

Soft tissue sarcomas represent about 7% of childhood cancers, but diagnosis can be delayed as symptoms often mimic more common conditions. Dr. Sharna Shanmugavadivel, a pediatric emergency medicine doctor leading the campaign, noted that diagnosis time is significantly associated with survival rates in children. The guidelines aim to reduce avoidable delays, which can lead to reduced treatment-related harm and save lives. Hannah York believes that an earlier diagnosis might have given her daughter a better chance, emphasizing that her daughter's cancer was rare, underfunded, and under-researched.