A heartbroken mother has told of her agony after doctors ruled out her daughter’s terminal cancer because of anxiety.
Madi Foster, from Stafford, Staffordshire, was an otherwise healthy and “physically fit” teenager.
But at age 17, she suddenly began to get out of breath easily and lacked energy.
Worried by the unexpected change, she visited her GP with her mother Nicola Foster, 51. However, she says she was told it was simply anxiety and depression and was prescribed antidepressants.
Madi Foster, from Stafford, Staffordshire, was a healthy and ‘physically fit’ teenager. But at just 17, she suddenly began to get breathless easily and lose energy.
It was only after his symptoms worsened two years later in June 2023, with him suffering from back pain and “sweating profusely”, that emergency doctors detected his spleen was enlarged.
Tests confirmed she had a rare and aggressive cancer, adrenocortical carcinoma, a cancer of the adrenal gland, which is located next to the kidneys and is responsible for regulating essential functions such as metabolism and the immune system.
Despite having the tumour removed and surviving septic shock, in February the 20-year-old received the shocking news that her cancer (which affects one in a million people) had spread and she had only 15 to 18 months to live.
Recalling Madi’s traumatic experience, Ms Foster said: ‘Madi also complained of back pain, but doctors attributed it to a urinary tract infection.
‘He was diagnosed with a high heart rate and was prescribed medication to slow it down.’
Worried by the unexpected change, she visited her GP with her mother Nicola Foster (pictured), 51. However, she says she was told it was just anxiety and depression and was prescribed antidepressants.
Unlike many other types of cancer, doctors aren’t sure exactly what increases the risk of developing this disease. There are no known risk factors. That’s partly because the disease is so rare that research on it hasn’t been as extensive as research on other types of cancer.
After falling ill in June 2023, she was again told it was a kidney infection and sent home, Ms Foster said.
But when her condition worsened further, she was taken by ambulance to Stafford Hospital.
“They did a CT scan of his back and saw that his spleen was enlarged,” he added.
‘Her spleen was wrapped around the 15cm tumour and was being pushed and crushed.
“She was rushed to Stoke and blood tests confirmed it was cancer. They thought it was one of the four rarest types of cancer. It was horrific.”
After a biopsy confirmed it was adrenocortical carcinoma, she underwent surgery to remove the tumor in September.
But after complications with the surgery, Madi went into septic shock when her abdomen filled with five liters of fluid in November 2023.
It was only after his symptoms worsened two years later in June 2023, with him suffering from back pain and “sweating profusely”, that emergency doctors detected his spleen was enlarged.
Although Madi has undergone chemotherapy to help slow the growth of her tumours, her parents also found surgeons at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, US, who were willing to operate on her. Pictured here, Madi recovers after suffering septic shock.
Mrs Foster said: “We were told it was highly unlikely she would survive. She had to undergo emergency surgery and had to have her heart restarted three times that night.
“He had multiple organ failure. He recovered after two weeks and returned home after four weeks.”
Unable to receive chemotherapy during her recovery, a check-up in February found the cancer had spread to her abdomen and liver.
Unlike many other types of cancer, doctors aren’t sure exactly what increases the risk of developing the disease. There are no known risk factors.
This is partly because the disease is so rare that research into it has not been as extensive as that into other types of cancer.
According to Cancer Research UK, only 220 people on average are diagnosed with adrenal gland cancer, which includes adrenocortical carcinoma, each year.
In the United States the figure is around 800.
The glands are responsible for helping to regulate a person’s heart rate and other functions related to the cardiovascular system.
They also help activate a person’s “fight or flight” response during high-stress situations.
Tests confirmed she had a rare and aggressive cancer, adrenocortical carcinoma, which affects only one in a million people. Despite having the tumour removed and surviving septic shock, in February the 20-year-old received the shocking news that the cancer had spread and she had only 15 to 18 months to live.
The disease is thought to develop when the DNA of the gland’s cells undergoes an unhealthy change and begins to replicate, although the exact cause remains unclear.
Like other types of cancer, malignant adrenal gland cells can break away and be carried by the circulatory system to another part of the body.
This causes the cancer to spread, making it more difficult to treat and significantly more deadly.
Studies I suggest only 15 percent of patients whose cancer has spread survive more than five years.
Although Madi has since undergone chemotherapy to help slow the growth of her tumors, her parents also found surgeons at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Maryland, US, who were willing to operate on her.
On August 19, she underwent her first surgical intervention to relieve pressure on her spine.
Another operation to remove half of his liver and the tumors is planned for August 27, followed by radiotherapy to his spine.
TO GoFundMe The page set up in June to help fund the cost of her travel and accommodation has also raised more than £45,000.
Madi said: ‘He has given us all hope back when we thought there was none.
‘My plan is to recover through the treatment offered at the NIH and continue studying medicine, particularly oncology, and help other people like me who went through cancer.
‘I’ve called my trip here a vacation because I haven’t been able to leave the country for a long time and being here is also a very positive experience.’
Mrs Foster added: “He has a very positive attitude. He has never cried.”
“She didn’t let that bother her.”
