Hanged cancer patient may have missed all-clear letter

A cancer sufferer who hanged himself may not have received a letter from doctors giving him the all-clear, it emerged today.

Colin Jackson underwent a harrowing course of treatment after being diagnosed with testicular cancer last year.

A letter was sent telling him tests had shown that the treatment had been successful, and he was free from the disease.

However, an inquest heard that the 43-year-old, from Gillingham in Kent, may not have received the good news because he had recently changed GPs.

Mr Jackson, who had "no financial worries", was found hanging from the eaves of his flat in Livingstone Road on July 2 last year.

A spokeswoman for the Mid Kent and Medway Coroner's Office said today: "He'd had tests for testicular cancer but because of the change of doctor we don't know if he'd got the all-clear.

"Although letters had gone out it seems he may not have got the information through."

She added: "He'd had a relationship that had recently broken up, but that wasn't thought to be the cause.

"He had no financial worries."

Coroner Stephen Beck recorded a verdict of suicide at the hearing in Gillingham last Thursday.