plus 1, Woman suing for $2.2M over mastectomy mistake - Vancouver Sun |
| Woman suing for $2.2M over mastectomy mistake - Vancouver Sun Posted: 05 Mar 2010 12:58 AM PST A Leamington, Ont., woman, who had an unnecessary mastectomy last fall, has launched a $2.2-million lawsuit against the surgeon who removed her breast, the pathologist who analysed her biopsy and two Windsor-Essex hospitals. Laurie Johnston, who never had breast cancer, is suing surgeon Dr. Barbara Heartwell, pathologist Dr. Olive Williams, Hotel-Dieu Grace Hospital and Leamington District Memorial Hospital. The lawsuit alleges Williams's pathology report is confusing and contributed to Heartwell's mistake. The surgery was done at Hotel-Dieu in November by Heartwell, a surgeon with 28 years of experience. Johnston's biopsy was done at Leamington hospital and examined by Williams -- who was suspended Jan. 4 because of errors in her work. "Recently I learned that in addition to the pathology report that said I did not have cancer, there was another report in my record that said it was not cancer. Both of these reports were dated days before my surgery, and I assume were sent to Dr. Heartwell," said Johnson, at a Toronto news conference. "When I was told by Dr. Heartwell that I had cancer, it was very difficult for me, but I felt that I had come to terms with it, with my family's support. To learn that my breast was removed unnecessarily is devastating for me and for them. Another patient has come forward to say that Dr. Heartwell did the same thing to her. It is shocking to me to know that what happened to me could have been prevented if only I had known." Days after Johnston's case became public, it was revealed that Heartwell had performed another unnecessary mastectomy in 2001 on Sarnia woman Janice Laporte, whose pathology results also showed she did not have breast cancer. When Laporte came forward with her story, Heartwell voluntarily stopped operating at Hotel-Dieu until the hospital completes a review of her past cases. The mastectomy errors forced Hotel-Dieu to reveal it had been reviewing Williams's work. The medical errors have prompted a separate investigation by the Ontario Ministry of Health, which appointed three top doctors this week to look into the situation in Windsor. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Acupuncture Eases Breast Cancer Therapy - OfficialWire Posted: 06 Mar 2010 12:42 AM PST U.S. researchers say acupuncture may relieve joint pain often accompanying breast cancer treatment. Researchers at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center in New York City and colleagues found post-menopausal women being treated with aromatase inhibitor therapy for hormone-receptor-positive early breast cancer reporting joint pain who received acupuncture had significant lessening of pain. The study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, also found the women treated with acupuncture had overall physical well-being improve and the 20 percent also taking pain medications reported no longer needing them. No such improvements were reported by controls. "Since aromatase inhibitors have become an increasingly popular treatment option for some breast cancer patients, we aimed to find a non-drug option to manage the joint issues they often create, thereby improving quality of life and reducing the likelihood that patients would discontinue this potentially life-saving treatment," study senior author Dr. Dawn Hershman said in a statement. Hershman and colleagues randomly assigned 43 women given aromatase inhibitor and reporting joint pain to receive twice weekly treatments of either true acupuncture or sham acupuncture -- superficial needle insertion at points not-recognized as acupuncture points as a control. Five Filters featured article: Chilcot Inquiry. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction. |
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