Misdiagnosis leads to unnecessary surgery and large verdicts against pan-medicine.
A recent jury verdict in Philadelphia brought national attention to a case involving a misdiagnosis of cancer that led to a major surgery that was never needed. The ruling held Penn Medicine liable for part of a $35 million award after a woman underwent a total hysterectomy based on test results that turned out to be wrong. The plaintiff, ISIS Spencer, claims that the avoidable errors and chain of poor judgment caused him to lose the opportunity to make informed decisions about his health. The ruling assigned Penn Medicine and one of its physicians liability for $12.25 million of the total amount, while Mainline Health had already settled its share of the case.
According to the lawsuit, the original mistake occurred when biopsy slides at Mainline Health became contaminated with another person’s DNA. The mix-up led to a report showing advanced endometrial cancer when Spencer had no cancer. After receiving alarming results, Spencer sought an additional opinion at Penn Medicine, where a second biopsy came back negative. Even with two discordant results, he was still encouraged to proceed with major surgery. Tests performed at Penn showed no signs of cancer and were described as “within normal limits,” the complaint says, yet the physician proceeded with a diagnosis that linked the central line’s health to the wrong slides.
Spencer was told immediate surgery was her only real option, the court filing said. The physician refused to run more tests that could explain the inconsistent results, the complaint states. Spencer first met with a physician in early 2021, and by the following month had undergone a full hysterectomy at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. It was only after the operation that the medical team discovered that the removed tissue showed no signs of cancer. A nurse was asked to deliver the news that she had never had cancer and surgery was not necessary.
The aftermath, according to the lawsuit, caused significant physical and emotional distress. Spencer, who was 45 at the time, experienced sudden early menopause through surgery. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea and severe headache. The trial described the ordeal as both terrifying and devastating, noting the emotional impact of thinking she had cancer and then learning the truth after surgery caused lasting damage. His lawyer said in a statement that the decision reinforces the importance of giving patients accurate information and clear choices.
Penn Medicine responded by saying it plans to appeal the decision. A spokesman said the decision did not match the evidence provided during the trial. The statement explains that the physician based his decisions on pathology results that came from outside the Penn system and did not know the slides were contaminated. Still, the jury concluded that Penn’s actions directly contributed to the outcome.
The case follows other major misdiagnosis rulings in recent years involving Penn’s drugs. Previous record-setting awards in the state have focused on patient care systems, communication between medical facilities and how inconsistent test results are handled. The volume of this fresh decision is the highest this year in Philadelphia. The situation has also spurred a broader conversation about how hospitals confirm results before moving forward with life-changing treatment decisions.
Sources:
Philadelphia jury says Penn Medicine liable for $12.25 million in cancer misdiagnosis suit
A 45-year-old Philadelphia woman has won $35 million after being misdiagnosed with cancer, leading to unnecessary surgery. Here’s what happened and how you can protect yourself
