'It's too late': Man's heartbreaking plea after wife's death

A Kingaroy man hopes his message will continue his wife's passion by helping other families.

CANCER BATTLE: Kevin Allen sits in his late wife's favourite spot in their Kingaroy home as he shares about Linda's passion for helping others. Picture: Jessica McGrath

IT IS too late for Linda Allen, but her husband has a message for others in her situation.

"I just want people to do the scans, tell them you want them done," husband Kevin Allen said.

The Kingaroy mother passed away on December 11 last year after she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer in June, 2018.

It was not until five months later that further tests revealed the cancer had spread to her brain.

"It's too late for Linda and I just want people to be aware of this lung cancer and where you can get caught," Mr Allen said.

"It was very hard to accept, it can happen to anyone."

Mr Allen said families should understand how quickly cancer can spread and to ask doctors to do scans to check if it had spread to other parts of the body such as the brain.

Mrs Allen had initially gone to the doctor with what she thought was pneumonia.

Tests revealed she had lung cancer.

Kingaroy resident Linda Allen passed away on December 11, 2018 after her short battle with lung cancer. Picture: Contributed

Mrs Allen, who was 63 when she died, was travelling to Emerald to see extended family in November 2018.

She was doing well after chemotherapy but became ill during the road trip.

An MRI done in Toowoomba revealed she had 10 tumours in her brain.

She returned home to Kingaroy and died 11 days later.

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Mr Allen said previous scans were only done to monitor the lung cancer from the chest down, focussing on the lungs and other parts of the body including the liver.

"We don't know when the cancer would've been (in her brain), but if you don't look at it you wouldn't know, would you?" Mr Allen said.

"I just want other people who have CT scans or MRIs: when they get it done, tell them to do the brain."

Kevin Allen with his late wife Linda who passed away on December 11, 2018 after her battle with lung cancer. Picture: Contributed

A Queensland Health spokesperson said in Australia there were a number of guidelines and principles underlying clinical decisions to conduct brain scans.

"This decision making is complex and highly individualised to the needs of the patient," they said.

The spokesperson said families should always feel free to ask their doctors questions.

"Queensland Health always encourages patients to talk to their doctor if they have any questions about their treatment, including why they need the treatment, the benefits and risks, and what other types of treatment are available," the spokesperson said.

Mrs Allen battled through the cancer diagnosis with a lot of family support from her husband of 14 years, 12 siblings and five children from previous marriages.

Her husband will always remember her as a big Broncos fan, his darts opponent, and for her good sense of humour and her passion for helping others.

More than 2300 Queenslanders are diagnosed with lung cancer every year and more than 1840 people die from the disease.

Queensland Cancer Council says symptoms for lung cancer can include shortness of breath and wheezing, hoarseness, chest pain, coughing or spitting up blood, recurring bronchitis or pneumonia, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss or fatigue.

The risk of lung cancer can be higher if someone has been smoking tobacco or was exposed to second-hand smoke, asbestos, radon, occupational substances such as uranium or nickel, HIV infections or a family history of lung diseases.