Woman’s Chest Pain Dismissed as Infection – Later Diagnosed with Lymphoma
A 32-year-old Australian woman’s persistent scratchy throat and chest pain, initially dismissed as a chest infection by multiple doctors, was ultimately revealed to be an aggressive form of lymphoma. Chantelle Asciak, from Melbourne, endured months of misdiagnosis and worsening symptoms before receiving an accurate diagnosis in September 2022.
Asciak first visited her doctor in February 2022, reporting a scratchy throat and chest pain. She was prescribed antibiotics for what was diagnosed as a chest infection. “I’d been getting really tired in the weeks leading up to it, but I had a busy job as a visual merchandiser, I was on my feet all day, and I thought it could be related to that, or possibly anaemia,” Asciak told the Daily Mail. However, the pain persisted. A month later, she sought a second opinion at a respiratory clinic, where, despite her distress, concerns about Covid-19 overshadowed her symptoms. She was again prescribed antibiotics for a chest infection.
This pattern of dismissal continued for several months. Doctors suggested stress or lingering effects from a previous Covid-19 infection. By late August 2022, Asciak’s face began to swell, adding to her existing cold and flu-like symptoms. She returned to a doctor, describing an inability to lie flat due to crushing chest pain. “I told my mum, ‘I have to head to the doctor.’ I couldn’t sleep all night. I was in tears… I could barely draw breath and it felt like someone was choking me,” she recounted.
An ambulance was called, but paramedics attributed her condition to an anxiety attack, offering a telehealth consultation that resulted in yet another diagnosis of a chest infection and a prescription for anti-inflammatories. After weeks of ineffective treatment, and with her facial swelling becoming severe enough to impair her vision and her upper body filling with fluid, Asciak and her mother returned to a doctor’s clinic. Her original general practitioner had since left the practice.
A CT scan, ordered on September 8, 2022, finally revealed the truth: Asciak had primary mediastinal B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL), a rare and aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma. She received the diagnosis the following day and was immediately admitted to hospital. “My mum and I just broke down in tears when the doctors told us,” she said. “and then, it was all go.”
The growth in Asciak’s chest, responsible for the pain and pressure, was later determined to be the size of a small watermelon. Due to the swelling in her upper body, medical staff struggled to insert intravenous lines, eventually resorting to accessing veins in her groin and feet. She was initially admitted to Royal Melbourne Hospital, then transferred to the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, and subsequently to intensive care due to a stiffening back and deteriorating condition.
In the ICU, doctors faced a critical decision: intubate Asciak to assist her breathing, risking further compression of her heart, or proceed with chemotherapy without knowing the specific type of lymphoma she had. Asciak spent four days intubated, slipping in and out of consciousness, which she described as the most traumatic part of her ordeal.
After seven rounds of treatment, including multiple forms of chemotherapy, immunotherapy, CAR-T therapy, and micro-robotic surgery, Asciak received confirmation of remission on World Lymphoma Day, March 6, 2023. She has remained in remission for nearly three years, though she experienced pneumonia and lung infections in 2024 and a false alarm relapse scare at the finish of 2025.
Asciak now dedicates her time to Lymphoma Australia, contributing to the creation of the Aggressive Lymphoma Roadmap, a resource she wished had been available during her misdiagnosis. “The one lesson I’ve come out of this with is how important it is to advocate for yourself medically, whether it’s a health issue you perceive just isn’t right, or even in the middle of treatment, if you think you need more answers, or more options,” she stated. “I know that if I hadn’t spoken up for myself, I might not be here. If I can develop my experience matter to someone else’s journey, I’m going to keep speaking up.”