Pathologist mistake

[birdibelle]

Has anyone heard of this. I am so sad about being informed at dr appt.,that there was mistake on my pathologist report. 2018 last year my left side breast cancer estrogen negative. I now have metastatic cancer on the right axillary lymph node and it is estrogen positive. I am still processing being informed on the pathologist mistake. I appreciate any info and thoughts.

[Have-faith]

So are you saying the estrogen negative dx was wrong and you are actually estrogen positive? Or, could you have developed a different cancer mutation on your right side? Cancer does mutate and we can have more than one kind at the same time. At least your doctor noticed this and can now treat you appropriately. Faith

[birdibelle in reply to Have-faith]

It was explained that pathologist missed it, mistakenly estrogen negative. All along I was estrogen positive. It was not my Oncologist' fault. Now I have metastatic breast cancer, right axillary lymph node mets. I hope this info will help others. My Oncologist is dedicated and compassionate. It helps that I feel she will fight for me and with me in this battle of cancer. I'm trying to take this journey, one day at a time, hour by hour, at times, minute by minute.

[NPmary in reply to birdibelle]

It's terrible what happened to you! I'm so sorry. Glad you have an oncologist you feel comfortable with.

[PJBinMI]

I have heard of pathologists making mistakes. I have heard of patient reports getting switched, of something important being missed, of something being mistaken for something else. When I was in high school, one of my best friends was the daughter of a pathologist. It was a very small town and he was the only pathologist! At a basketball game one Friday night, he was paged and had to go to the hospital to look at specimens from the ER, and my friend burst into tears and talked about how often he was called out during some important event and how much that hurt the whole family. That really drove home for me that physicians are people with families and lives away from the lab, office, clinic, hospital. I really like what Faith wrote and agree with her. I'm a long timer with mbc (15 years) and initially had cancer cells test positive for both E and P but after several years, the P switched to negative. Each of us has such a different experience with this crazy cancer! I hope your onc can explain exactly what is going on in ways that will give you peace, and of course treatment that works well for you! Keep us posted about what you learn about this--it may help somebody else!

[birdibelle in reply to PJBinMI]

I was told that estrogen receptor can change from positive to negative. Dr. said they don't go negative to positive with estrogen receptor. I agree with you regarding that our medical staff are people who have personal lives and personal commitments too. I could kick myself, that I didn't even think of having a second pathologist, confirm the breast cancer pathology report

[syl70]

Sorry about the pathology report error. I understand the upset. In 1995, my pathology report did not indicate whether or not my lumpectomy margins were clear or not. When I went for radiation, my radiation oncologist reviewed my slides and told me my margins were “dirty”. He recommended I have a mastectomy. I went for second opinions to another pathologist and to Sloan Kettering. They reviewed the slides and noted that the original pathology report was not accurate and missing information. They both recommended a mastectomy followed by chemo. I followed up with a mastectomy a couple of months later. Because of the second opinions, my treatment plan changed. What I learned is that you have to be diligent and patient advocate

This January 2019, my breast cancer metastasized to my liver, but the CT scan reading did not catch it. In April, a PET scan caught it & noted that there were two tumors. The radiologist reviewed the January 2019 CT & in retrospect found the first tumor & by April, there was a second. I could have started my new treatment in April, but had to wait until late May to go onto oral chemo.

Unfortunately, your oncologist must rely on the radiologist and pathologist reports. I’ve learned that these folks do make mistakes. Of course, I’m upset, but I’ve also learned to move on. We just need to be vigilant.

I wish you the best in your treatment.

[Reallyno]

We have to remember our health care providers are also only human☺I had my mammograms every year as told, but was the one who found the lump. I was also the one who 4 years after masectomy, 2 rounds of chemo & 35 radiation treatments, was also the one who brought the lymph nodes in my neck to my onc's attention finding out i now have mbc. We all progress in different ways, our docs can't figure out the needs of so many different symptoms thing them all to one dx. I think we all need to remember that and know that we are all here to help educate them.