Missed Breast Cancer Diagnosis Prevents Effective Early Treatment

Case Overview

This case involves a woman in her thirties with a family history of breast cancer who was referred to a regional cancer center by her primary care physician after he detected a lump in her breast. While under the care of physicians at the medical center, the woman underwent a number of imaging studies, including a mammogram and an ultrasound, both of which were read as normal. As a result, she was cleared of a cancer diagnosis and was released without follow up. Some months later, the woman was seen by another doctor, who again ordered imaging studies after feeling a number of lumps in her breast. The patient was seen by a different oncologist, who informed the patient that the imaging performed by the original oncologist had been administered incorrectly, and the results had been misinterpreted. By the time the patient’s cancer was successfully detected, her tumor had more than doubled in size, requiring a double mastectomy as well as multiple rounds of chemotherapy to treat.

Questions to the Hematology expert and their responses

Do you routinely treat patients similar to the one described in this case? Please explain.

In my practice I routinely treat patients similar to the one described in this case and I have special experience in breast cancer and have published and done research in this area.

Can a delay in diagnosis of this amount of time impact a patient's course of treatment?

It is possible that the prognosis of stage II in this case was actually worse, since it appears to have been rapidly growing. In stage I, chemotherapy is usually not required, so the need for chemotherapy is one of possible damages.

Please tell us why you're qualified to serve as an expert reviewer on this case.

I have special experience in breast cancer and have published and done research in this area.

About the expert

This highly qualified, board certified, extremely well published expert earned his bachelor's degree from Yeshiva University and his medical degree from the State University of New York Downstate Medical College. This was followed by a residency in internal medicine at the New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital and at Hahnemann University Medical Center. This expert then completed his formal medical education by pursuing a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Long Island Jewish Hillside Hospital Medical Center. This expert has earned numerous awards for his contributions as a physician. This expert is extremely well published, having authored 28 Peer-reviewed Journal Articles, 10 Abstracts and 16 reviews. This expert's mastery of research has allowed him to serve as reviewer and editor for numerous leading medical journals. This expert previously held numerous positions, serving as Director of the Cancer Center of Generations Manhattan, Chief of Hematology and Oncology and associate director of the cancer center at Lincoln Medical Center, Co-Director of the Division of Medical Oncology and Hematology at Brookdale University Hospital, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Cornell University and as Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. This expert currently serves as Associate Attending at a regional hospital and on the Medical advisory board for a pharmaceutical company.