The Lima News has reported that a woman afflicted with lung cancer is suing two of her doctors and their staffs for their failure to diagnose a tumor before it spread, and also for their errors involving the misreading of her x-rays and an MRI. S.W. has named Dr. J.M., of Lima; the Orthopedic Institute of Ohio; Dr. P.F., of Cincinnati, and Wellington Orthopedic and Sports Medicine of Cincinnati, as defendants.
The suit, filed this past July, seeks over $25,000 in damages. According to the suit, S.W.'s medical issues began in December 2009 with pain and the loss of full motion in her left knee. S.W., a runner, sought care and treatment at the Sports Clinic in the Orthopedic Institute of Ohio. The first physician she reportedly met with was Dr. J.M.
After seeing Dr. J.M., he ordered an x-ray of S.W.'s left knee. An abnormality in the bone brought up a concern that cancer may be involved. However, it is at this point that the first error may have taken place; according to the suit Dr. J.M. ordered an MRI – of the wrong knee.
The MRI revealed no issues in the right knee. Dr. J.M. proceeded to diagnose and treat S.W.'s left knee, with the MRI findings of the right knee. S.W. then sought out treatment from Dr. P.F. at the Wellington Orthopedic Institute in Cincinnati. Dr. P.F. did his own exam of S.W.'s left knee. According to the suit, he noted the abnormality in the bone. Then, he too, viewed the MRI of her right knee – and made his diagnosis based on MRI alone. In follow up appointments with Dr. P.F., he continued to rely on the MRI in deciding S.W.'s treatment plan.
After an exam with a third doctor, who also noted the abnormality on the x-rays, S.W. was sent to an oncologist. The oncologist diagnosed an osteosarcoma in her left leg. By this time, the cancer had spread to S.W.'s lungs. The lawsuit claims that in the time that S.W. first sought out treatment and the correct diagnosis was finally arrived at, the tumor in her leg had increased, as well as allowing the cancer to spread in her system.
The defendants are accused of negligence and failure to properly diagnose and render the proper medical treatment. In over seven months, according to the suit, S.W.'s chance for long-term survival had reduced from 70 percent down to 30 percent. Along with the claims of medical negligence, J.W. has had months of pain, suffered invasive procedures, sustained permanent injuries, and has present and future medical bills.