"Inoperable tumours not diagnosed for four months"

My parent was diagnosed with stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme last year. It all started when my parent was dribbling and dropping things which I then rushed my parent to the hospital where they performed an MRI and found a mass on the right side of the brain, from there my parent was admitted to Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital where my parent was operated on. Everything went so well and my parent was amazing and strong even through the chemo and radiation. As my parent’s bloods have not been good so they had to stop chemo which was a little set back. My parent also had to get an MRI done every 3 months just to see how things were going, late last year we all went to see the radiologist to get the results of my parent’s MRI and got told the news that everything was looking great the only thing the doctor could see was a little scar tissue left and even the doctor was happy to see this. We all were over the moon it was definitely a high five moment. Things had been going great, my parent was feeling in good spirits they had another MRI in early this year and those results were great also.

So this is where things start going very wrong, I wasn't able to attend my parent’s most recent MRI which in itself makes me upset, my parent was informed that there were two new inoperable tumours, which the registrar left the room and came back 5 mins later to tell my parent that. I then received the call from my parent and they were just devastated, I was lost for words and heartbroken for my parent.

So anyway, as I was not there I decided to book another appointment with an actual oncologist to discuss where my parent goes from here and what options my parent has, we go to this appointment wanting to ask so many questions and we got absolutely blown away! The oncologist is looking through all my parent’s scans and mentions that those tumours have been there all along! Excuse me? My parent has had two other scans and no one mentioned anything to them, the oncologist said, the radiologist either didn’t see it or forgot to write it in the findings. This is my parent’s life and we can't get this time back. We have been told all these things like, what would it have changed, hasn’t your parent been happy and living care free these past four months? I feel that this is complete negligence; I could have been trying to save my parent’s life four months ago.

There’s my parent getting excited about driving, moving out, going on holidays, thinking that everything was great when it clearly wasn't. I have all the reports and not one mentions these other tumours. I feel so angry and so upset for my parent, I have written a complaint to SCGH with no response. I am determined to not let this go. I would hate to think that other patients and families have gone through anything like this.