A Winnipeg woman, given a six-month life expectancy after lung cancer spread extensively to her brain, liver, and other organs, has filed a lawsuit accusing two doctors of negligence for failing to detect her cancer earlier.
In a statement of claim filed May 27 at the Manitoba Court of King’s Bench, the woman alleges a respirologist and a diagnostic radiologist did not properly interpret a July 2024 CT scan nor conduct a differential diagnosis that should have considered cancer. Instead, she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and told the lung abnormalities resembled emphysema.
The lawsuit claims the small lung lesion evident on the CT scan was the origin of her metastatic cancer, which could have been managed or prevented from spreading had the doctors acted appropriately. The woman’s symptoms worsened despite treatment with inhalers, and she was only diagnosed with cancer in January 2025 after emergency scans following neurological symptoms. By then, the cancer had spread widely and was deemed untreatable.
The claim alleges the doctors breached their duties by failing to identify cancer as a possible cause of her symptoms and not providing timely follow-up care. The woman has since undergone surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, which, combined with the disease, have severely damaged her organs.
She seeks general damages for pain and suffering and special damages for out-of-pocket costs, future care, and lost income. The allegations have yet to be tested in court, and no defence has been filed.
Swifteradio.com
