A Drogheda mother of two who underwent a mastectomy after being told in 2003 that a lump in her breast was not cancerous yesterday expressed surprise that a recent HSE review of her case on foot of a complaint by her had found the original diagnosis was correct.
She now wants an external review of her treatment to be carried out.
Alison Kelly (47) initially attended the breast clinic at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, in March 2003, because of what she termed a "distinct lump in my left breast".
She said she was informed by her consultant that the lump was benign, a finding that was supported by aultrasound which she had requested.
But in January 2005, when she again attended the breast clinic, she said a different doctor performed a mammogram, fine needle aspiration, and biopsy. These tests showed cancer was present. "As a result of these tests, I had a mastectomy, and it was confirmed that I had a carcinoma in my left breast, which was stage three, invasive."
Ms Kelly said she had complained to the hospital earlier this month. "It is highly likely that it was cancerous in 2003 but they simply didn't examine it properly," she said.
However, a spokeswoman for the HSE said: "The reassessment which included a review of her [ Ms Kelly's] medical records and her ultrasound has established that the correct assessment was made on this patient when she first presented in 2003.
"The reassessment was made by a radiologist, who has a particular expertise in breast radiology and was not the radiologist who reported on the original scan in 2003."
She said the hospital was examining no other similar complaints. The hospital group general manager had offered the possibility of an external review of Ms Kelly's case. Ms Kelly has said she wants this to go ahead.