A nurse who alleges there was a delay in diagnosing her breast cancer has taken a case against the HSE in the High Court, reports Breaking News.
Áine McSweeney, a mother of three from Clonmel in Co Tipperary, also claims that two mammograms she underwent in 2020 and 2022 were incorrectly interpreted as benign, reports Breaking News.
Ms McSweeney, aged 52, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023 and subsequently underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
In the legal proceedings, it is claimed that the two mammograms carried out at the Breast Clinic in University Hospital Waterford in 2020 and 2022 were reported as benign, reports Breaking News.
It is alleged that these scans should instead have been classified as indeterminate, with claims that they showed clustered calcifications. It is further argued that if the findings had been properly followed up, further investigation and treatment would have taken place.
All allegations are denied, and the High Court heard that there is a difference of opinion between radiology experts representing both sides, reports Breaking News.
Ms McSweeney’s counsel, Dr John O’Mahony, alongside Cian O’Mahony instructed by solicitor Brigid O’Donnell, told the court that the nurse had a family history of breast cancer.
He said this should have been a factor taken into account when assessing the case, reports Breaking News.
Mr Justice Paul Coffey has been asked to first determine whether there was an alleged breach of duty by the HSE in relation to the mammograms performed at University Hospital Waterford.
Opening the case, Dr O’Mahony told the court that the cluster appeared in the same location where the cancer was later identified, reports Breaking News.
He said their case is that there was a “gradual progressive increase” in the cluster, which became more pronounced over time and ultimately led to the cancer diagnosis in 2023.
Counsel argued that the cluster was visible as early as 2020 and became more evident by 2022, reports Breaking News.
Experts for the plaintiff will say the mammograms from both years should have been investigated further, and that no biopsy was carried out.
He added that, in their view, an earlier diagnosis would have allowed Ms McSweeney to receive appropriate treatment sooner, reports Breaking News.
Counsel noted that many breast cancers are detected through clusters before a lump becomes apparent.
It is further alleged that a radiology report dated October 23, 2020 incorrectly interpreted a mammogram as benign, when it is claimed it showed clustered microcalcifications in the left breast that should have been classified as indeterminate, reports Breaking News.
A similar claim is made regarding a mammogram from January 7, 2022, which was also reported as benign but is alleged should have been considered indeterminate.
It is also argued that if breast cancer had been diagnosed in 2020, treatment would have occurred when the disease was node negative and the tumour significantly smaller than it was when treated in 2023, reports Breaking News.
All claims are denied by the defence.
The case before Mr Justice Coffey is continuing, reports Breaking News.
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