An intensive care nurse who said her cancer was misdiagnosed as long Covid — despite never testing positive for the virus — has died.
Brogan Williams, from Wolverhampton, was in remission from breast cancer when she began suffering chest pains in July 2021.
But after seeking help at A&E, medics dismissed the 35-year-old’s symptoms as just knock-on effects of the pandemic virus.
Just 10 days later the mother-of-one was informed that her cancer had returned and spread to her lungs.
Ms Williams was told she would need palliative care and was given a life expectancy of just two weeks.
Her family announced her death on Instagram on October 9. Family and celebrities have paid tribute to the ‘beautiful’ and ‘brave’ Ms Williams.
Tributes have been paid to ‘beautiful’ Brogan Williams from Pendeford in Wolverhampton who passed away on this week after a two-year battle with the disease. The mother-of-one was in remission from breast cancer when she attended A&E with chest pains in July 2021. But hospital medics dismissed her symptoms as long Covid. However, just 10 days later the 35-year-old was informed her cancer had returned. Pictured, Brogan with her daughter Freya
Ms Williams was told she’d need palliative care and was given a life expectancy of just two weeks. In an Instagram post yesterday, her family said she had passed away on October 9. Pictured, Brogan with her husband Gareth and daughter Freya
Ms Williams was first diagnosed with cancer five years ago. In December 2018, her husband spotted that her nipple was inverted — a tell-tale sign of cancer. However, the pair were trying for a baby and thought it may be a sign of pregnancy. When her period came, she booked an appointment with her GP to check her breast. Two weeks later, in January 2019, she was diagnosed with stage 3 grade 3 HER2 positive invasive breast cancer. Pictured, Brogan with her daughter Freya and husband Gareth
They wrote: ‘For many of you, you may have noticed Brogan’s absence on her social media accounts.
‘This is the news that none of us wanted and weren’t ready to deliver. On Monday 9 October, our beautiful Brogan drifted into a peaceful sleep.
‘There’s not a lot of words we have left to say but we know Brogan’s journey has impacted many people’s lives through her continuous strength and determination to embrace life and “roll with the punches”.’
They added: ‘As a lasting memory, we will leave you with some words of her own; “Never stop anything getting in your way, reach for the stars and smile whilst doing it”.’
In a tribute shared on Instagram, I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! winner Giovanna Fletcher said the news had ‘hit hard’.
The author and podcaster joined Ms Williams on a 100km Hadrian’s Wall Country trek in aid of breast cancer charity CoppaFeel earlier this year.
She wrote: ‘Walking with Brogan in June was extremely special.
‘She had me cackling with her humour and nodding along with her wise words about life and the people we let into our hearts.
‘Sending so much love to Gareth and Freya — her love for you was palpable.
‘Brogan — your wit, cheekiness and heart was a huge part of what brought your team together in June.
‘Thinking of you today and wishing we could be back walking along that never ending beach to Holy island!’
Meanwhile, Great British Bake Off contestant Candice Brown said: ‘I am heartbroken darling girl. The strength you showed me was like nothing I’d seen before.
‘Thank you for sharing your warmth, grace and bravery. Fly high beautiful Brogan.’
Ms Williams was first diagnosed with breast cancer five years ago.
In December 2018, her husband spotted that her nipple was inverted — a tell-tale sign of cancer.
However, the pair were trying for a baby and thought it may be a sign of pregnancy.
When her period came, she booked an appointment with her GP to check her breast.
Two weeks later, in January 2019, she was diagnosed with stage 3 grade 3 HER2 positive invasive breast cancer.
Stage 3 means that the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes close to the breast, to the skin of the breast or to the chest wall, while grade 3 means the cancer cells look abnormal and may grow or spread more aggressively.
Yesterday, her family wrote on Instagram: ‘For many of you, you may have noticed Brogan’s absence on her social media accounts. ‘This is the news that none of us wanted and weren’t ready to deliver. On Monday 9 October, our beautiful Brogan drifted into a peaceful sleep. ‘There’s not a lot of words we have left to say but we know Brogan’s journey has impacted many people’s lives through her continuous strength and determination to embrace life and ‘roll with the punches.’ Pictured, Brogan with her daughter Freya and husband Gareth
They added: ‘As a lasting memory, we will leave you with some words of her own; “Never stop anything getting in your way, reach for the stars and smile whilst doing it”.’ Pictured, Brogan with her daughter Freya
In a tribute shared on Instagram, I’m A Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! winner Giovanna Fletcher said the news had ‘hit hard’. The author and podcaster, joined Brogan on a 100km Hadrian’s Wall Country trek in aid of CoppaFeel earlier this year. She wrote: ‘Walking with Brogan in June was extremely special. She had me cackling with her humour and nodding along with her wise words about life and the people we let into our hearts. ‘Sending so much love to Gareth and Freya – her love for you was palpable. ‘Brogan – your wit, cheekiness and heart was a huge part of what brought your team together in June. ‘Thinking of you today and wishing we could be back walking along that never ending beach to Holy island!’
During the 100km walk in aid of CoppaFeel in June, Brogan Williams shared a photo on her Instagram pictured with Giovanna Fletcher. Following her second diagnosis in 2021, she worked to raise awareness of metastatic breast cancer. She also began writing letters to her daughter, Freya, to read at pivotal moments in her life
HER2 positive breast cancers have higher levels of a protein — called human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 — which helps it grow faster.
Ms Williams underwent multiple rounds of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and mastectomies — surgery to remove both breasts.
By October 2020, she was in remission — meaning tests showed all signs of cancer had gone.
She started suffering back pain and shortness of breath around the same time but was unable to make a face-to-face appointment due to the pandemic.
However, her GP and oncologist told her she was ‘too young’ for her cancer to come back, she claimed.
In February 2021, she had an MRI of her spine, which came back clear.
On July 18 2021, she attended A&E with chest pains after feeling like she had been ‘punched’ in the back when climbing stairs.
Hospital medics dismissed her symptoms as ‘Covid lung’ — damage to the organs due to a Covid infection — and told her to go home and rest.
This is despite her never having tested positive for the virus.
She returned to the emergency department again on July 27, where she was told that a CT scan from earlier that month showed her cancer has spread to her lungs — known as metastatic breast cancer.
Medics told her that she would be offered palliative care.
Every year since records began, more men than women have been diagnosed with lung cancer in the UK. Between 2016 and 2018 there were an average 25,404 new cases each year in men and 23,396 in women
Symptoms of breast cancer to look out for include lumps and swellings, dimpling of the skin, changes in colour, discharge and a rash or crusting around the nipple
Checking your breasts should be part of your monthly routine so you notice any unusual changes. Simply rub and feel from top to bottom, in semi-circles and in a circular motion around your breast tissue to identify any abnormalities
Following her second diagnosis in 2021, she worked to raise awareness of metastatic breast cancer.
She also began writing letters to her daughter, Freya, to read at pivotal moments in her life.
Ms Williams previously said: ‘I’m writing letters for her which people may see as a sign of giving up but it’s me taking control.
‘I always want her to know exactly what I’d say to her in certain situations like her first period or the first time she meets a boy and gets those butterflies.’
She credited her family — including husband Gareth and mother Lorraine — for giving her the strength to keep going.
She said: ‘I am so lucky, I feel like I’ve won the lottery with the family I’ve got.’
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with around one in seven women diagnosed in their lifetime.
Around 56,000 people are diagnosed in the UK each year and 298,000 in the US.
Symptoms include a change in the size or shape of the breasts, discharge from either nipples, a lump or swelling in both armpits and a change in the appearance of the nipple.
A combination of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are usually recommended for treatment.
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world and affects more than two MILLION women a year
Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world. Each year in the UK there are more than 55,000 new cases, and the disease claims the lives of 11,500 women. In the US, it strikes 266,000 each year and kills 40,000. But what causes it and how can it be treated?
What is breast cancer?
It comes from a cancerous cell which develops in the lining of a duct or lobule in one of the breasts.
When the breast cancer has spread into surrounding tissue it is called ‘invasive’. Some people are diagnosed with ‘carcinoma in situ’, where no cancer cells have grown beyond the duct or lobule.
Most cases develop in those over the age of 50 but younger women are sometimes affected. Breast cancer can develop in men, though this is rare.
Staging indicates how big the cancer is and whether it has spread. Stage 1 is the earliest stage and stage 4 means the cancer has spread to another part of the body.
The cancerous cells are graded from low, which means a slow growth, to high, which is fast-growing. High-grade cancers are more likely to come back after they have first been treated.
What causes breast cancer?
A cancerous tumour starts from one abnormal cell. The exact reason why a cell becomes cancerous is unclear. It is thought that something damages or alters certain genes in the cell. This makes the cell abnormal and multiply ‘out of control’.
Although breast cancer can develop for no apparent reason, there are some risk factors that can increase the chance, such as genetics.
What are the symptoms of breast cancer?
The usual first symptom is a painless lump in the breast, although most are not cancerous and are fluid filled cysts, which are benign.
The first place that breast cancer usually spreads to is the lymph nodes in the armpit. If this occurs you will develop a swelling or lump in an armpit.
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
- Initial assessment: A doctor examines the breasts and armpits. They may do tests such as a mammography, a special x-ray of the breast tissue which can indicate the possibility of tumours.
- Biopsy: A biopsy is when a small sample of tissue is removed from a part of the body. The sample is then examined under a microscope to look for abnormal cells. The sample can confirm or rule out cancer.
If you are confirmed to have breast cancer, further tests may be needed to assess if it has spread. For example, blood tests, an ultrasound scan of the liver or a chest X-ray.
How is breast cancer treated?
Treatment options which may be considered include surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and hormone treatment. Often a combination of two or more of these treatments are used.
- Surgery: Breast-conserving surgery or the removal of the affected breast depending on the size of the tumour.
- Radiotherapy: A treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation focused on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops them from multiplying. It is mainly used in addition to surgery.
- Chemotherapy: A treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying.
- Hormone treatments: Some types of breast cancer are affected by the ‘female’ hormone oestrogen, which can stimulate the cancer cells to divide and multiply. Treatments which reduce the level of these hormones, or prevent them from working, are commonly used in people with breast cancer.
How successful is treatment?
The outlook is best in those who are diagnosed when the cancer is still small, and has not spread. Surgical removal of a tumour in an early stage may then give a good chance of cure.
The routine mammography offered to women between the ages of 50 and 70 means more breast cancers are being diagnosed and treated at an early stage.
For more information visit breastcancernow.org or call its free helpline on 0808 800 6000
