'Probably just anxiety': Doctor's misdiagnosis ends in Scottish man's death

A doctor's critical misdiagnosis has ended in a man dying at just 35 years old. 

Scottish man Ryan Greenan went to his doctor in Edinburgh in September after experiencing trouble swallowing, eating and drinking. 

Despite having a history of throat cancer in his family, the father-of-two was told by his doctor that his symptoms were likely caused by reflux and anxiety, The Scotsman newspaper reports. 

But Mr Greenan's symptoms persisted, and his sister Kerry, 33, said he rapidly lost weight and collapsed in December while he was at work. 

"When Ryan first went to the doctor, he was told it was anxiety and that he was too young for it to be cancer because he was only 35," she told The Scotsman

Mr Greenan was taken to hospital after his collapse, and after tests he was diagnosed with throat cancer on December 28. 

Ryan Greenan.
Ryan Greenan. Photo credit: Facebook

It was found that the cancer had spread to the 35-year-old's lungs and liver, and he was told there was nothing that could be done to save him. 

"If it had been picked up earlier, they could have operated, they could have given him chemotherapy, but after three months it had spread," his sister said. 

A fundraising page has been set up to support Mr Greenan's family, including his fiancée Natasha Robertson and their two young daughters.  

More than NZ$2000 (£1,149) has been raised so far. 

Newshub.