Doctor missed lump during biopsy

sfar

Not sure exactly where to post this. My 31 year old daughter who recently had a baby in September and is breastfeeding found a lump in her breast not long after her baby was born. She waited it out and did all of the things that is suggested to determine if it was a clogged duct or something related to nursing. I was very nervous as I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2016. Finally, she agreed to see her midwife about it. The midwife ordered an ultrasound and mammogram which confirmed that it wasn't a cyst and needed to be biopsied. This was a week before Christmas. The doctor (radiologist) who performed the core needle biopsy & clip insertion missed the lump, which he attributed to a vein which was surrounding it that created a shadow. The biopsy came back benign but the doctor advised that she be re-biopsied. In addition she can hardly feel the lump due to the swelling and possible hematoma caused from the first time around.

Today we are seeing a new breast surgeon at a different facility and she is scheduled for the possibility of a biopsy right after. This has been so stressful for obvious reasons and now we are into a new year and a new high deductible/ co-pay situation with insurance. She will probably end up paying a couple of thousand dollars when this is done. I'm wondering if the original doctor should be paying for this?

marie5890

Probably not. Although not common, it's not unheard of that a biopsy misses the targeted area.