A retired teaching assistant died just weeks after discovering a “red hot and tender” patch on her leg, an inquest has heard.

On November 10 last year, Rowena Howse, 67, noticed the swollen and red patch of skin on her calf had appeared that morning and called her GP at The Doctors’ House, Marlow, to let them know.

After initially being told it was likely nothing to worry about, the problem got worse – and the next day she was referred to Wycombe Hospital for a suspected deep vein thrombosis.

But investigations revealed Mrs Howse, from Marlow Bottom, was actually suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia – an aggressive cancer of the white blood cells.

She was admitted to Stoke Mandeville Hospital and Dr Joseph Browning, consultant haematologist, said it was agreed Mrs Howse should start intensive chemotherapy right away.

His statement to an inquest into her death at Buckinghamshire Coroner’s Court on Tuesday said: “Without treatment, her condition would likely be fatal within weeks.”

Her chances of long-term remission after the chemotherapy were put at around 50 per cent – and Mrs Howse agreed to treatment and started it on November 18.

But she then started to complain of “visual disturbances” and was found to have a vitreous haemorrhage and a high temperature.

Her condition continued to deteriorate while in Stoke Mandeville Hospital, but extensive tests could not find anything that might be causing an infection.

Mrs Howse’s symptoms were “consistent” with sepsis, Dr Browning said, and she was transferred to the intensive care unit.

Dr Browning said: “She was profoundly neutropenic [low levels of a type of white blood cell]. Ten to 15 per cent of patients with acute myeloid leukaemia will succumb despite supportive treatments.”

She sadly passed away there on December 3 after developing multiple organ failure affecting her respiratory, cardiovascular and renal functionality.

Mrs Howse’s cause of death was recorded as multiple organ failure due to neutropenic sepsis and typhlitis secondary to chemotherapy due to acute myeloid leukaemia.

Alison McCormick, assistant coroner for Buckinghamshire, said: “It was decided that Rowena was an appropriate candidate for chemotherapy. She was deemed to be fit to undertake treatment. Without chemotherapy, her life expectancy would have been a few weeks.

“By November 30, her condition had deteriorated significantly and had symptoms consistent with sepsis. She didn’t have Covid-19.

“Her deterioration continued and sadly she passed away. She had her family around her.

“Given the severity and the aggressiveness of the acute myeloid leukaemia, chemotherapy provided a good chance of remission, but tragically, Rowena was one of the small number of people for whom chemotherapy didn’t provide a benefit.”

The coroner recorded a narrative conclusion.