case-results: Lack of Informed Consent

A 43-year-old patient presented to his primary care physician with complaints about a new lump in his breast. His primary care physician negligently delayed a cancer workup for over a year, and failed to advise the patient of alternative recommended treatment options. When the breast tumor was finally removed, it was misread as benign by the pathologist. Due to the delay and misdiagnosis, the cancer metastasized, and the patient is now terminal. The recovery from the verdict will allow the patient to afford expensive experimental treatments and clinical trials.