Recently in breast cancer Category

The know error® system for breast biopsies will be participating at the Society of Breast Imaging's (SBI) next course -- Practical Breast MRI: Case Based Review." The course takes place January 28 - 29, 2012 at the Hilton Bonnet Creek Hotel in Orlando, FL. Look for our tabletop display in the registration area.

Know Error develops and markets the know error® system for breast biopsies which utilizes bar coding, forensic principles and DNA matching to confirm that the biopsy samples being evaluated belong to the patient being diagnosed. Available for a diverse range of tissue types, including breast, the know error® system brings new levels of patient safety and diagnostic accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process.

Since the company's launch in 2009, hundreds of physicians in a variety of specialties have incorporated the know error® system as a standard for their patient care. To learn more about the know error® system for breast biopsies, visit our website www.knowerror.com.

According to an article in the New York Post, a New York woman who was undergoing surgery for injuries caused in a car accident was misdiagnosed with Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer based on a lab's mishandling of her biopsy tissue. During routine post surgical tests, the woman's biopsy was contaminated with tissue from the sample of a patient who did have cancer. Since the diagnosis was Stage 4 cancer, her doctors recommended radiation treatment as soon as possible. However, after doctors were unable to pinpoint her type of cancer, they asked for a second opinion from a different lab. The new test revealed the misdiagnosis but not before she had already undergone 6 radiation treatments.

This is different than the chain of events leading to a misdiagnosis that have occurred in most cases covered in this blog. Typically, a lab mix up occurs which results in a false diagnosis, ultimately leading to unnecessary surgery and/or treatment for cancer. It is not until after the surgery that the routine post surgical tests of the biopsied tissue reveal there was no cancer in the first place. In this case, the testing of the post surgical biopsy tissue (from an unrelated surgery) was where the mistake and resulting misdiagnosis occurred.

Regardless of where the error occurred in the complex biopsy evaluation process, it is possible to avoid adverse outcomes such as these. Know Error develops and markets the know error® system which utilizes bar coding, forensic principles and DNA matching to confirm that the biopsy samples being evaluated belong to the patient being diagnosed. In this case, DNA testing conducted prior to treatment would have revealed two tissue types and that the one with cancer did not match this patient's DNA.

Available for a diverse range of tissue types, the know error® system brings new levels of patient safety and diagnostic accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process. Since the company's launch in 2009, hundreds of physicians in a variety of specialties have incorporated the know error® system as a standard for their patient care.

To learn more about the know error® system, visit our website www.knowerror.com.

Know Error is sponsoring the 2nd Annual Connecticut Challenge Survivorship Summit: "Bringing Together Leaders in Cancer Survivorship." This annual symposium will be held November 15, 2011 at the New Haven Lawn Club in New Haven, CT. The event is featuring speakers from world renowned cancer centers, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania. Kenneth Miller, MD, Director of the Lance Armstrong Foundation Adult Survivorship Program at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, will wrap up the program with a presentation titled: "Buy-in and Pushback: How survivorship fits into the system." Click here to learn more about this meeting.

The mission of the Connecticut Challenge is "to empower cancer survivors to live healthier, happier and longer lives."  According to its website, the Connecticut Challenge raised more than $1.4 million in 2010 with 86 cents of every dollar going towards program services and grants.

Know Error develops and markets the know error® system which utilizes bar coding, forensic principles and DNA matching to confirm that the biopsy samples being evaluated belong to the patient being diagnosed. Available for a diverse range of tissue types, including prostate and breast, the know error® system brings new levels of patient safety and diagnostic accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process.

Since the company's launch in 2009, hundreds of physicians in a variety of specialties have incorporated the know error® system as a standard for their patient care. To learn more about the know error® system, visit our website www.knowerror.com.

Know Error was a proud sponsor of the 5th Annual "Key to the Cure" event hosted by the St. Vincent Foundation and Saks Fifth Avenue. The event was held October 15th, 2011 at Saks Fifth Avenue at Keystone at the Crossing and was part of a nationwide Saks fundraising initiative to raise funds for cancer treatment and research. The proceeds from the Indianapolis event will benefit St. Vincent Cancer Care.  

The black-tie event included a cocktail reception, seated dinner, fashion show, live auction and dancing. According to the Indianapolis Star, the 2011 fundraiser raised close to $500,000 which will support important initiatives at St. Vincent Cancer Care. To date, the Saks Fifth Avenue and St. Vincent Foundation partnership has raised more than $2 million.

Know Error develops and markets the know error® system which utilizes bar coding, forensic principles and DNA matching to confirm that the biopsy samples being evaluated belong to the patient being diagnosed. Since the company's launch in 2009, hundreds of physicians in a variety of specialties have incorporated the know error® system as a standard for their patient care.

To learn more about the know error® system, visit our website www.knowerror.com.

Know Error is proud to be a part of the 8th Annual Lee-Ann Riley Memorial Breast Symposium -- "Emerging Trends in Breast Cancer Management: From Diagnosis to Survivorship." The symposium is being hosted by the Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center at Bridgeport Hospital and takes place on October 26, 2011 in Shelton, CT. Click here for more information on this meeting.

The Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center is dedicated to providing a comprehensive network of services for complete breast health. Its multidisciplinary team of breast cancer specialists provides one-on-one care, with dignity, privacy, and warmth, in a serene, comfortable, thoroughly professional setting.

Know Error develops and markets the know error® system for breast biopsies which utilizes bar coding, forensic principles and DNA matching to confirm that the biopsy samples being evaluated belong to the patient being diagnosed. Available for a diverse range of tissue types, including breast, the know error® system brings new levels of patient safety and diagnostic accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process.

To learn more about the know error® system for breast biopsies, visit our website www.knowerror.com.

The know error® system for breast biopsies will be participating at the Society of Breast Imaging's (SBI) next course -- "Practical Breast MRI: Case Based Review." The course takes place September 17-18, 2011 at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel in Santa Monica, CA. Look for our tabletop display in the registration area.

The know error® system for breast biopsies brings a new standard of patient safety and diagnostic accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process. By establishing specimen provenance as part of the biopsy evaluation process, the know error® system arms physicians with critical information to recommend the appropriate path for patient treatment. Since its launch in the spring of 2010, the system has identified DNA non-matches in more than 1% of the patient cases for whom testing has been performed.

To learn more about the know error® system for breast biopsies, visit our website www.knowerror.com.

In July 2010, Fox 4 News in Dallas reported on a medical mix-up that nearly led to an unnecessary double mastectomy for one Texas woman. Romona Champion had a routine mammogram in February of 2009 that showed a suspicious mass. She had a biopsy done three weeks later and soon found out the biopsy revealed she had breast cancer. 

She delayed her scheduled surgery in order to take a long-planned family vacation. Two days before the trip, she found out there was a mistake in her diagnosis and that she was cancer-free. The pathology lab had mislabeled her specimen container with the name of another woman who did have breast cancer. The mix-up was only discovered because the other woman's doctor was concerned that his patient, who had all the signs of breast cancer, was reported to be cancer-free.  

While the outcome could have been far worse, both women were still negatively affected by Specimen Provenance Complications (SPC). SPCs are a by-product of the complicated biopsy evaluation process and may arise due to instances of specimen transposition, foreign cell contamination, and patient misidentification that occur in clinical or anatomical pathology. The first woman (Romona Champion) had to deal with the belief that she had breast cancer and the second experienced a delay in treatment.

Launched in the summer of 2010, the know error® system for breast biopsies brings new levels of safety and accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process. Through the use of DNA Specimen Provenance Assignment (DSPA) and bar code technology, this innovative system dramatically reduces the incidence of Specimen Provenance Complications (SPC) enhancing patient safety and diagnostic accuracy. By performing DNA testing of biopsy tissue samples PRIOR to any treatment taking place, the know error® system virtually eliminates any adverse patient outcomes due to SPC.

For more information about the know error® system for breast biopsies, please visit our website www.knowerror.com.

The know error® system for breast biopsies is being showcased at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Breast Surgeons. The meeting will be held April 27- May 1, 2011 at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, DC. Look for us at Booth #429. For more information on this meeting, click here.

The know error® system for breast biopsies, introduced in the summer of 2010 by Diagnostic ID, LLC, provides an effective way to establish specimen provenance. Through the use of DNA Specimen Provenance Assignment (DSPA) and bar code technology, the know error® system brings new levels of safety and accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process.

This innovative system dramatically reduces the incidence of Specimen Provenance Complications (SPC) which may arise due to instances of specimen transposition, foreign cell contamination, and patient misidentification that occur in clinical or anatomical pathology. By performing DNA testing of biopsy tissue samples PRIOR to any treatment taking place, the know error® system virtually eliminates any adverse patient outcomes due to SPC.

For more information about the know error® system for breast biopsies, please visit our website www.knowerror.com.

The know error® system for breast biopsies is being showcased at the National Consortium of Breast Centers' National Interdisciplinary Breast Center Conference. The meeting is being held March 12-13, 2011 at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. Look for us at Booth #23. For more information on this meeting, visit www.breastcare.org.

The know error® system for breast biopsies, introduced in the summer of 2010 by Diagnostic ID, LLC, provides an effective way to establish specimen provenance. Through the use of DNA Specimen Provenance Assignment (DSPA) and bar code technology, the know error® system brings new levels of safety and accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process.

This innovative system dramatically reduces the incidence of Specimen Provenance Complications (SPC) which may arise due to instances of specimen transposition, foreign cell contamination, and patient misidentification that occur in clinical or anatomical pathology. By performing DNA testing of biopsy tissue samples PRIOR to any treatment taking place, the know error® system virtually eliminates any adverse patient outcomes due to SPC.

For more information about the know error® system for breast biopsies, please visit our website www.knowerror.com.

On July 20, 2010, a story in The Vancouver Sun revealed a case where an accidental biopsy mix up resulted in an unnecessary lumpectomy for one woman and a 10 week delay in treatment for another.

As with similar cases documented in this blog, the mix up was discovered by a pathologist performing routine post-surgical tests that revealed no cancer in the patient's tissue samples.  The report states, "...DNA tests confirmed on July 16 that the woman's initial biopsy...was accidentally switched with a similar biopsy from another woman."  This type of mix up is just one of many types of Specimen Provenance Complications (SPC) that can lead to diagnostic mistakes.  Other examples of SPC are specimen transposition and foreign cell contamination. 

Launched in the summer of 2010, the know error® system for breast biopsies brings new levels of safety and accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process.  Through the use of DNA Specimen Provenance Assignment (DSPA) and bar code technology, this innovative system dramatically reduces the incidence of SPC so that diagnostic mistakes are minimized. 

While the DNA tests in this case confirmed the mix up, this was unfortunately AFTER the unnecessary surgery and delay in treatment.  The know error® system performs DSPA of biopsy tissue samples PRIOR to any treatment taking place and virtually eliminates diagnostic mistakes due to SPC.  This allows both patient and physician to proceed confidently with treatment options based on the patient's biopsy results.

For more information about the know error® system for breast biopsies, please visit our website www.knowerror.com.

Recent posts discussing the cases of Darrie Eason, Scott Aprile and "Kim," a woman from Korea, revealed three similar. Each involved some form of patient misidentification that resulted in a cancer-free patient undergoing unnecessary breast removal surgery. Media coverage of these types of cases tends to focus on the patient who received some form of unnecessary treatment. While tragic for these patients, the reports seem to overlook a second and possibly more tragic victim - the patient WITH cancer who received delayed treatment or worse, no treatment at all.

On August 12, 2009, an article published in The Korea Times revealed that two of Korea's top hospitals had been held liable in the case of a cancer-free woman, referred to as "Kim," who mistakenly had part of her right breast removed. In 2005, a tumor was found in Kim's right breast during a routine check-up. She had an ultrasound and biopsy to further examine the tumor; however, as the tests were being evaluated, the hospital mistakenly switched her chart with that of another patient. Based on the another patient's chart, she was diagnosed with cancer and it was recommended that she have part of her right breast removed. Upon seeking a second opinion, some simple tests were performed, but there was no second biopsy and the cancer diagnosis was confirmed based on the switched biopsy results.  

In May 2009, media reports surfaced about a 28 year old man who mistakenly underwent a radical mastectomy only to find out a few months later that he never had cancer.  Scott Aprile, a personal trainer from New York, received the devastating news that he had breast cancer in December of 2008. Just one month later, in January 2009, surgeons removed his right breast along with three lymph nodes. About two weeks after his surgery, Aprile was told that his biopsy had been switched with a woman's biopsy that had been performed the same day.

A recent blog post discussing second opinions focused on a theoretical patient who was misdiagnosed with cancer and was not helped by a second opinion since it was based on the original biopsy which had been mistakenly switched with another patient's biopsy results.  This happened in the case of Darrie Eason, a 35-year old single mother who mistakenly had both breasts removed after a lab mix-up led to her cancer misdiagnosis.  When appearing on Good Morning America and asked what could be learned from this, Eason, who herself sought a second opinion, responded "Maybe it's that second opinions are good but second biopsies are better." 

After receiving the life changing diagnosis of cancer, some physicians may encourage a patient to seek a second opinion.  Friends and family would most certainly insist on this; perhaps even go to the lengths of seeking out an expert in the field or a world-class hospital that specializes in a particular type of cancer.

In most cases, the purpose of the second "opinion" is to verify the cancer diagnosis and more importantly, to validate the treatment plan suggested by the first physician.  For instance, if a patient seeks the second opinion of a physician taking part in a clinical study, the approach to treatment may be drastically different.  After gaining both opinions, it is then up to the patient to compare both opinions and determine which approach is right for him.

However, what if the problem to be found had nothing to do with the diagnosis but rather the fact that the diagnosis was based on the wrong patient's biopsy results?  In other words, a cancer free patient's results were switched with the results of a patient who had cancer (click here to read about such a switching error).  In this case, a second opinion (or third or fourth) would do nothing to protect the patient.  Unless a second biopsy was ordered by the physician offering the second opinion, this switching error would very likely remain undetected. At that point, a cancer free patient may have undergone an unneccessary surgery such as a double masectomy or prostatecomy.

The know error® system, introduced in 2009 by Diagnostic ID, LLC, employs a DNA matching technology that provides DNA confirmation of a positive biopsy result.  With the know error® system in place, patients and physicians alike are ensured that the first opinion and any given thereafter are based on the right biopsy results. 

For more information about the know error® system, please visit our website www.knowerror.com. 

A Newsday article published on November 11, 2009, revealed another biopsy switching error that resulted in an unnecessary lumpectomy and removal of lymph nodes.  In this case, the patient was 35 year-old Janelle Trenchfield who has filed a negligence lawsuit against the medical facility where her surgery was performed.

As with cases previously covered by this blog, Trenchfield didn't find out she was cancer-free until AFTER the surgery when routine post surgical tests showed the tissue samples from the surgery were negative for cancer.  Her biopsy lab results had been switched after a label with her name was attached to another patient's tissue samples.  Additionally, in this case, the error was also attributed to "human error and procedural issues."  A hospital spokesman claimed, "All procedures for the handling and labeling of tissue samples were immediately revised." 

In each of the cases we have covered, revising or improving procedures appears to be the common solution proposed to solve these patient misidentification errors.  While procedural improvements can serve to reduce the number of errors that occur, a study* published in the Journal of Urology suggested that these types of errors likely cannot be eliminated through procedural improvements alone.  Additionally, the study proposed these types of errors may be entirely eliminated with the use of DNA matching prior to any treatment taking place.

The know error® system, introduced in 2009 by Diagnostic ID, LLC,  provides a solution to finding biopsy identity switches by incorporating both an error reduction system and DNA fingerprinting technology. The know error® system employs patient-specific bar-coding for the purpose of reducing errors and forensic DNA fingerprinting for the purpose of preventing errors that may result in an adverse patient outcome. 

The know error® system uncovers patient identification errors by matching tissue from a positive biopsy result to a reference sample taken from the patient via a simple cheek swab to confirm that the tissue belongs to the patient.  By performing DNA matching PRIOR to treatment, the know error® system assures that biopsy switching errors will be detected prior to any unnecessary surgery or treatment.

For more information about the know error® system, please visit our website www.knowerror.com.

* Eric J. Suba, John D. Pfeifer and Stephen S. Raab Patient Identification Error Among Prostate Needle Core Biopsy Specimens--Are We Ready for a DNA Time-Out? Journal of Urology Vol. 178, 1245-1248, October 2007

Recent posts have discussed several cases where medical mix-ups have resulted in unnecessary cancer removal surgeries. One case was that of Scott Aprile, a 28 year old personal trainer, who had his breast tissue and several lymph nodes removed after his lab results were switched with another patient's. Another case discussed a 32 year old woman from Melbourne, Australia, who underwent a radical hysterectomy after her biopsy sample had been contaminated with tissue from a patient who did have cancer. In each of these cases, both patients underwent unnecessary surgeries as well as the immeasurable pain and suffering that go along with a cancer diagnosis. But, they also had another thing in common - they both survived.

In early 2008, a similar lab mix up resulted in the death of a young New York woman.  She had been mistakenly diagnosed with breast cancer and decided to move ahead with treatment quickly since breast cancer ran in her family. She opted for a double mastectomy in conjunction with reconstructive surgery. The day after the surgery she died due to complications from the surgery. As with the two cases above, post surgical tests revealed there was no cancer in the first place. The hospital also made similar claims as those made in the other two cases, i.e., they had taken steps "to ensure that such an event [would] not occur in the future." 

While it is unknown what specific steps have been taken or will be taken by these hospitals, it is known that these types of Specimen Provenance Complications (SPC) cannot be prevented through procedural improvements alone.  (Read more on this here.)  One way to truly prevent SPCs is to utilize DNA matching technology to confirm the positive biopsy tissue belongs to the patient prior to beginning any treatment plans or surgery.

Through the use of DNA Specimen Provenance Assignment (DSPA) and bar code technology, the know error®  system brings new levels of safety and accuracy to the biopsy evaluation process. This innovative system dramatically reduces the incidence of SPCs enhancing patient safety and diagnostic accuracy. By performing DNA testing prior to treatment, the know error® system virtually eliminates diagnostic mistakes due to SPC.

For more information about the know error® system, please visit our website www.knowerror.com.