Our 75-year old client recovered $900,000 for a delay in the diagnosis of breast cancer in Chemung County, NY.

In 2017 and 2018, the patient underwent annual screening mammograms to check for breast cancer.  The most important screening test for breast cancer is the mammogram. A mammogram is an x-ray of the breast that may detect a mass, a cluster of calcifications or an enlarged lymph node.  The radiologist looks for any abnormal signs or patterns on the mammogram before a lump can be felt on the breast.

During routine screening mammograms in 2017 and 2018, the mammograms revealed dense left axillary lymph nodes and increased calcifications that were clustered in a tight group (not diffuse throughout the breast). The new findings on the mammograms should have been worrisome for breast cancer, but the radiologists did not order additional imaging studies or recommend a biopsy.

In 2019, the patient was diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer.  The claim in the lawsuit is that the radiologists should have reported the abnormal findings on the mammograms in 2017 and 2018 and recommended additional imaging studies, such as a breast ultrasound or chest MRI, or a biopsy. The delay in diagnosis led to stage IV (metastatic) breast cancer that spread to the femur, spine and pelvis.

The settlement funds will be used to provide a better quality of life for our client.