Biopsy mix-up results in delay in cancer diagnosis and treatment

31 Jul 2008

A Welsh man has been diagnosed with cancer following a prostate biopsy result mix-up.

The gentleman concerned was given the all clear after his biopsy, later to find out that he did in fact have cancer. If the malignancy had been identified originally, he would have been treated over a year ago and so this delay in treatment could have extreme implications for his long term prognosis.

After the errors at West Wales General Hospital were discovered it has been revealed that, whilst some patients have been identified as having prostate cancer after being given the all clear, others have unnecessarily undergone treatment for wrongly-diagnosed cancer.

It is estimated that seventy people have been affected by the mix-up and Tim Deeming of Irwin Mitchell Solicitors commented, “In addition to the misdiagnosis, the NHS Trust do not appear to be exerting any urgency in getting immediate treatment for the people involved. My client has had to continually pursue an urgent MRI scan and four months after the discovery still awaits urgent oncology treatment”.

back