Patients Told by Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist They Were Misdiagnosed with HER2 Positive Breast Cancer

Many HER2 breast cancer patients diagnosed at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist in North Carolina endured permanent, painful treatments—only to find out they had been misdiagnosed. Grant & Eisenhofer is representing these patients in seeking justice for what they went through, and to hold Atrium Health responsible for upending their lives.

The women’s health attorneys at Grant & Eisenhofer (G&E) issued multiple complaints with the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services (NCDHHS) last spring on behalf of women and men whom were misdiagnosed with HER2 positive breast cancer. Specifically, one client in her 20s at the time of the diagnosis was treated at Atrium Health, including undergoing a hysterectomy, chemotherapy, chemo-immunotherapy, post-surgical KADCYLA® infusions, CT and MRI scans, and a double mastectomy. Years later, and now in her 30s, she was told that the treatments she endured weren’t needed. Through her G&E attorneys, she said she was informed that she could “discuss the ramifications of the misdiagnosis and mistreatment with the Risk Management Department.” Meanwhile, her dreams of having a family are destroyed. Had she been properly diagnosed, she may have needed much less invasive treatment.

Last week, G&E filed another complaint with the NCDHHS on behalf of another misdiagnosed North Carolina breast cancer patient. The patient, whose identity is being kept confidential to protect her privacy, is also a North Carolina resident—a mother and grandmother—who was in her 50s when she was initially diagnosed in 2018 with HER2 breast cancer. Treatment included numerous cycles of debilitating chemotherapy, and her G&E attorneys said she was made aware of the misdiagnosis many years later, in October 2024.

HER2 positive breast cancer (or HER2+) is an aggressive form of breast cancer and tends to grow faster than other types of cancer. It also tends to spread and recur. Aggressive treatments are often used to treat HER2+ breast cancer, depending on the size of the tumor. These treatments include, but are not limited to:

• Hysterectomy
• Chemotherapy
• Chemo-immunotherapy
• Mastectomy

Painful, sometimes permanent side-effects from these treatments may include:

• Neuropathy (potentially permanent tingling/numbness in the hands or feet)
• Hair loss
• Memory issues
• Unnecessary implantation of a chemo port catheter
• Mental health disorders (i.e. anxiety, depression)

For these misdiagnosed patients, the treatments they received were unnecessary, needlessly changing their lives forever.

G&E has filed many complaints with NCDHHS on behalf of misdiagnosed patients whose lives were turned upside down a second time—once after receiving the initial diagnosis from Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist of their HER2+ diagnosis and again after receiving news of the misdiagnosis. After reality set in, these HER2 cancer patients are demanding answers, accountability, and compensation for what they went through.

Do You Have a Case Against Atrium Health?

In order to find out of you have a case, call our attorneys today for a free, confidential evaluation. We can discuss with you your potential legal options, as you may be entitled to compensation to pay for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering you endured from this horrific and costly medical mistake.

You deserve justice for the time you missed with your family, the painful, invasive treatments you suffered, and the mental and emotional anguish you endured. If together we decide to file a case on your behalf, you may remain anonymous if you wish.

Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Has Informed Many Patients They Were Misdiagnosed with HER2 Breast Cancer

Were you told you were misdiagnosed with HER2 breast cancer? Seek justice today for your incorrect diagnosis and contact an experienced medical malpractice lawyer today at 877-262-9767. We offer a free confidential evaluation of your potential claim.