Woman who claims surgeon needlessly removed her breast in £30k legal battle

Published on Thursday 26 March 2009 21:07

A WOMAN who claims a cancer surgeon wrongly removed her breast has launched a £30,000 legal action.

Margaret Anderson, 60, is seeking compensation for loss, injury and damage through the alleged negligence of Dr John Cannon and NHS Lanarkshire.

Dr Cannon, a breast cancer specialist, has been named in legal papers, which allege he wrongly told Mrs Anderson she needed a mastectomy.

Mrs Anderson, of Hamilton, was given the news after finding a lump on her right breast in December 2003.

She was referred to Wishaw General Hospital and underwent various tests before being informed she had developed a grade 3 "aggressive cancerous tumour".

Mrs Anderson claims she asked Dr Cannon, 60, if breast-conserving surgery was an option to her, but she says she was advised that a breast-removing mastectomy was the only option.

Mrs Anderson was admitted to hospital in January 2004 and she underwent the removal operation.

A later pathology report revealed that the tumour was not aggressive and that a lumpectomy might have been an option to her.

Yesterday, Mrs Anderson told the first day of a hearing at Hamilton Sheriff Court how she had asked Dr Cannon if a lumpectomy was available to her.

Giving evidence before Sheriff Daniel Scullion, she said:

"I asked if it was possible just to remove the lump rather than the breast but he told me it was aggressive and I had to get my breast off right away."

NHS Lanarkshire denies Mrs Anderson's claims.

The hearing at Hamilton Sheriff Court continues.