Durham and Darlington Breast Cancer Scandal: Denise Howarth's Story

Denise Howarth says she has been left feeling ‘betrayed, hurt and angry’ after being told she had a mastectomy she didn’t need. Denise, 51, was diagnosed with Grade 1 cancer in her left breast in February 2023 and underwent a mastectomy, on her consultant's advice, to ensure all cancer cells were removed. However, she was contacted by County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust last September to be told it had been discovered that she hadn’t required the mastectomy. The harm caused to Denise was identified as part of a huge ongoing review of the treatment of breast surgery patients, which may now be extended as far back as 2015.