$700,000 Settlement for Failure to Perform a Timely Breast Biopsy

Carol Forte represented a woman whose doctor discovered a lump in her breast. A mammogram was negative. Despite the negative findings of the mammogram, the defendants failed to recommend and/or perform a timely biopsy of the suspect area. This failure to test resulted in a delay of the diagnosis of the woman’s cancer, and a progression of the disease process to a stage where her prognosis for recovery was worsened. Between 10-15% of mammograms do not show cancer even when it is there. A lump in the breast needs further evaluation even when a mammogram is negative.