State authorizes revocation of accreditation for lab involved in unwarranted mastectomy on woman
In September last year, a mislabeling incident at GC Labs led to a series of events that have left a 32-year-old woman seeking compensation and justice. The mistake resulted in the misdiagnosis of cancer, which ultimately led to the woman undergoing a mastectomy. Shockingly, the removed left breast contained only benign tumor tissues.
The misdiagnosis was one of 131 cases of misdiagnosis related to cancer reported from 2017 to June 2021, according to data from the Korea Consumer Agency. MBN News reported that the Ministry of Health and Welfare has revoked GC Labs' government authorization for clinical laboratory activities as a result of the suspension.
The suspension is due to the mistake made by GC Labs that led to a cancer misdiagnosis. The ministry has also suspended state approval for GC Labs' medical activities for one month. However, there are no specific or recent publicly available updates on the suspension of GC Labs' state approval for medical activities due to cancer misdiagnosis.
The woman affected by this mistake is not only seeking compensation for the damages caused by the surgery but has also filed criminal charges against GC Labs and Sejong hospital. She stated that the surgery caused substantial damage to her personal life, including delaying her plans for pregnancy.
The mistake made by GC Labs involved the mislabeling of tissue samples, which led to the switching of samples for two women. The rest of the cases involved mistaking cancer for another condition.
It is important to note that the available regulations outline that a license can be suspended if there are reasonable grounds such as false statements, failure to comply with requests, or inadequate quality management systems. However, this is general regulatory context and not specific to GC Labs.
If you need the most current or detailed status about GC Labs, checking directly with the relevant state health regulatory authority or GC Labs’ official communications would be advisable.
- The misdiagnosis of cancer in women's health cases, such as the one experienced by the 32-year-old patient, has been a concern, with 131 such cases reported from 2017 to June 2021.
- Mishandled health and wellness issues like the mislabeling of tissue samples, which led to the misdiagnosis of cancer and subsequent surgeries, can have profound impacts on specific areas of women's health, such as the delay of pregnancy plans.
