Hong Kong woman discovers she was misdiagnosed with cancer after giving up uterus and ovaries

A 59-year-old woman in Hong Kong had to give up her uterus, ovaries and oviduct after she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. The thing is, she does not have cancer.

It turned out that her biopsy samples got mixed up with those of a 71-year-old patient at Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long district who actually had cancer.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the woman had surgery on Feb 26 to have her reproductive organs removed about five weeks after she was told she had cancer.

She learnt of the incorrect diagnosis only on March 15, after hospital staff received a report confirming contamination issues a day earlier.

Dr Wong Yiu-chung, chief executive of the authority’s New Territories West Cluster, which includes Pok Oi Hospital, told SCMP a medical team will follow up on the woman’s condition.

"We know and understand that the incident will affect the patient’s physical and mental condition greatly, so I want to take the opportunity to give the patient our most heartfelt apology and our deepest condolence," he said.

Dr Wong said an investigation committee will determine the cause of the blunder.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.