26-year-old woman diagnosed with brain tumour after GP dismissed headaches as pill side effects

A 26-year-old woman was diagnosed with a brain tumour after a GP told her headaches were a side effect of the contraceptive pill. Holly Worswick, a former PE teacher who had been fit and healthy, began experiencing headaches and intermittent vision in February 2021.

She initially attributed the symptoms to fatigue and sought care from a local GP, who attributed them to the pill and changed the medication without further investigation. When the headaches persisted, an optician ordered an OCT eye scan. On February 14, the scan revealed a mass the size of a grapefruit on her right optic nerve. She was immediately transferred to Macclesfield District General Hospital, where MRI and CT scans confirmed a brain tumour. She was then referred to Manchester Royal Eye Hospital for additional eye assessments. At Salford Hospital, doctors told her she would need surgery; the next day she underwent an operation to remove part of the tumour and take a biopsy.

The biopsy diagnosed a grade 1 benign meningioma, but surgeons were unable to remove it entirely due to its location. An infection developed, requiring a second operation. Within a month, part of her skull was removed to manage the infection, and in July 2021 a titanium plate was fitted to replace the missing bone, later replaced with a biocompatible material.

In November 2021 a CT scan showed the tumour had regrown, prompting a fourth brain operation in January 2022. The patient said the surrounding period was difficult as she recovered, and Christmas that year was particularly hard. In February 2024 another growth was detected, leading to a fifth operation to remove the tumour and six weeks of targeted proton beam therapy.

Following the latest surgery she began to experience hearing problems. Doctors found the tumour had grown near her ear canal, causing ears to pop and crackle. The eardrum was removed and the ear canal closed, leaving her slightly deaf in her right ear. After a sixth operation to remove the tumour, she would undergo MRI scans every six months for life.

Ms Worswick is competing in Miss England this year, using the platform to raise awareness of brain tumours and share her story about life after diagnosis rather than appearance.

Shannon Winslade, head of services at The Brain Tumour Charity, praised people who share their stories to raise awareness. The charity said it offers support to families coping with a brain tumour diagnosis and emphasizes that no one should face it alone.

This week the NHS in England launched a new rule, known informally as Jess's Rule, designed to prompt GPs to rethink a diagnosis after multiple consultations for the same symptoms. The rule follows the case of a 27-year-old who died of cancer after more than 20 appointments, with officials saying delays like that must not happen.