Did Doctors Go Too Far With These Breast Surgeries?

Thousands of women may have undergone breast cancer treatment that was more invasive than necessary and some may not have received the treatment they actually needed.

An investigation at County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has revealed that women were given mastectomies they may not have needed, had healthy lymph nodes removed or were never offered chemotherapy even when it was clinically appropriate. In other cases, cancer was missed entirely.

The review began after a patient safety incident earlier this year. Since then, nearly 200 cases have been identified and the number could grow into the thousands, with cases dating as far back as 2019. The errors primarily affected patients treated at University Hospital of North Durham.

The findings were confirmed by the Royal College of Surgeons, which uncovered outdated clinical practices, poor surgical decision-making and a breakdown in multidisciplinary collaboration. A number of patient deaths are also under investigation.

Hospital leadership has apologized and says it has begun making changes, including hiring new breast surgeons, investing in modern equipment and improving clinical oversight. But no amount of restructuring can undo what happened to the patients who were overtreated, undertreated or left in the dark.

This investigation cuts to the heart of what it means to trust your care team. It’s a reminder that informed consent is not a checkbox and that standard of care is only meaningful when patients are given clear, honest and complete information.