This case involves a physically active middle-aged female patient who injured her back while exercising and began seeing an orthopedist for treatment. She underwent an MRI which revealed an abnormal signal in her vertebral body and a follow-up bone scan was recommended. Upon receiving the follow-up bone scan, the impression was rib and vertebral body activity. In spite of these impressions, the orthopedist continued to treat the patient for musculoskeletal complaints without further investigation. In the subsequent months, the patient suffered worsening back pain. She required an MRI of the lumbar spine which revealed advanced osteosarcoma. The patient passed away within the year. An expert in diagnostic radiology was sought to opine on whether or not the imaging impressions merited different treatment.
Question(s) For Expert Witness
1. Do you routinely review imaging for patients like the one described in this case?
2. Have you lectured/published on this subject?
Expert Witness Response E-025681
I graduated from Hopkins Medical School in 1984. I completed a residency in diagnostic radiology and nuclear medicine and have been board certified since 1988. I formerly served as faculty at Duke and clinical faculty at Yale. As a former full-time faculty member at Duke and more recently clinical faculty at Yale, I have lectured and directly teach on oncologic staging and diagnosis across modalities, and this included prostate cancer. I have reviewed many hundreds of imaging studies evaluating and staging patients with prostate cancer, and at least a few dozens with extremely similar bone scan findings and MRI and/or X-ray correlations.
About the author
Victoria Negron
Victoria Negron has extensive experience in journalism and thought leadership in the legal space, with a background crafting content, whitepapers, webinars, and current event articles pertaining to the role of expert witnesses in complex litigation matters. She is a skilled professional specializing in B2B product marketing and content marketing. Currently, she serves as an Enterprise Product Marketing Manager at Postman, and previously held the position of Technical Product Marketing Manager at Palantir Technologies, where she developed her skills in launch strategies, go-to-market strategy, and competitive analysis.
Her expertise in content marketing was further refined during her tenure at the Expert Institute, where she progressed from a Marketing Writer to Senior Content Marketing Manager, and eventually to Associate Director of Content & Product Marketing. In these roles, she honed her abilities in digital marketing, SEO, content strategy, and thought leadership.
Educationally, Victoria holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Florida - Warrington College of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature, Art, and Hispanic Studies from Hamilton College. Her diverse educational background and professional experience have equipped her with a robust skill set in product marketing, content development, and strategic marketing initiatives.
